Dive centres in wait for sea to settle to inspect fallen Azure Window
‘A potential new dive site’
A number of diving centres are waiting for the sea to settle down, and visibility to improve, in order to investigate remains of the Azure Window.
The Dwejra natural arch collapsed on 8 March in the morning, following a night of particularly stormy weather. It had been slowly eroding over the years, eaten away by the elements.
Just across the bay from the window there is a popular dive site known as ‘the Blue Hole.’ Asked by The Malta Independent whether it is expected that this site could have been affected by the collapse, or what sort of damage they anticipate to the site below the window, a number of diving centres essentially said it was too early to tell.
Simon Sciberras, the Chairman of Malta Professional Diving School Association, said: “We are very eager to go there and see what did and did not happen. The marine life was very strong in that spot and now you have these rocks, obviously with no life on them, that have covered part of the area. Having said this, the marine life would regenerate over the years. It would take a while but it is a big loss for us as it was one of the best dive sites on the island.”
He does not think that the Blue Hole, which lies some 50 metres away, has been affected. “Having said this, the rocks have fallen in the direction of the Blue Hole site. The usual dive over there is to enter into the Blue Hole, head towards the Azure Window and come back. There are also 10 other ways to carry out the dive, and you could also say that now there is a bit of a story to tell.”
“We must wait for the sea to settle down and the weather to clear properly, and then a survey will be conducted of the situation,” Joe Vella Gaffiero, owner of St Andrew’s Dive Cove in Gozo said.
“It could be that a new dive site is created from the collapse, but you cannot really say anything for sure until we dive down there and investigate. The Blue Hole is most likely still ok,” he added.
Franco Bugeja, who owns the Blue Waters Dive Cove in Qala, also said that once the waters have cleared he and his colleagues will be diving in the area in order to gauge the new surroundings.
He also spoke about the possibility that a new dive site has been created, which would surely be welcome news after the tragic loss. Malta and Gozo are one of the leading spots in Europe in terms of diving, with many diving enthusiasts travelling to the small Mediterranean island to practise the sport.
The Azure Window was repeatedly used in tourism campaigns highlighting Gozo’s natural beauty, with the iconic structure also featuring heavily on billboards and airport ads about Malta. It also featured in a number of films and TV series, the latest and possibly most popular being Game of Thrones.
After it was noticed that the window was eroding at a more rapid pace, authorities had made walking on the arch an offence, punishable by a fine. Critics say that the authorities did not do enough to enforce the emergency conservation order, as pictures of people trespassing onto the arch kept surfacing on the social media. Though the collapse managed to shock the nation, for nobody expected it to happen so soon, experts believe that what took place was inevitable.
Strangely, the disappearance of the once beautiful natural arch did not dissuade tourists from visiting the spot. In fact, our photographer yesterday found that tourists were still descending on the site in droves, to see what all the fuss was about and, of course, to pose for the mandatory selfie.
International call for proposals launched
In the meantime, the government yesterday announced that it will be launching an international call for expressions for ideas on what can be done for the fallen Azure Window. One of the options being considered by the government could lead to the recuperation of the rocks that formed part of the Dwejra Window and expose them in an exhibition.
Ministers Jose Herrera, Edward Zammit Lewis, Anton Refalo and Owen Bonnici said government is considering various options; to leave things as they are now, to create an artistic impression of the window and even a digital augmented 3d structure. Dr Herrera said the government is also considering the expansion of Dwejra’s interpretation centre.
The announcement was made a few hours after the Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, told Sky News about an initiative that was to be taken following the collapse of the structure on Wednesday.
The Environment Minister said the government felt the responsibility to act and that is why it launched this consultation document. He said that whatever the option chosen, the environment will be fully safeguarded. He also announced that the Environmental and Resources Authority launched a conservation order “to avoid hunting of fallen rocks”.