ENVIRONMENT
Dwejra still the number one shore dive spot in Gozo
Diving in Dwejra has not lost its appeal since the Azure Window collapsed last March, and it is still the number one shore diving spot in Gozo, Simon Sciberras, chairman of the Professional Diving Schools Association (PDSA), told The Malta Independent.
“The main attraction for divers in the area is, of course, the Blue Hole, but divers are also tourists,” he said. “When the Azure Window was there, we were killing two birds with one stone. It is missed, but the site has remained popular with divers.” The area is also home to the Inland Sea.
The Azure Window, arguably Malta’s most iconic natural site, was destroyed during heavy storms on 8 March, following years of erosion which saw it being slowly eaten away by the elements.
“The site was, and still is, the top shore diving site in Gozo. We can say it was the most popular and has remained the most popular,” Sciberras said.
Simone Brinch Iverson, a PDSA representative who has dived around the reef near the window, said that “the collapse of the window has made what was previously a pretty reef dive, into a spectacular dive, with many swim-throughs, crevices, and super rock formations turning it into a much more interesting dive.”
She explained that the PDSA is urging divers not to pass through the swim-throughs until the rocks have had time to stabilise themselves. “It will take a good storm or two to make sure the rocks are secure before divers should attempt to swim between the rocks.”
Malta Tourism Authority CEO Paul Bugeja told The Malta Independent that talks were ongoing with the Dwejra Committee to ensure that not too many dives took place at the same time, and to see to questions surrounding safety, among other things. He noted that demand for diving in the area had increased.
The MTA planned to use the window’s collapse to promote diving, he said. “It’s a continuous exercise. When it comes to the diving niche, it is a continuous programme of marketing, not just due to the window, but because with this add-on, we now have another reason to continue advertising diving in Malta.”
“Before, Dwejra was an icon above ground; now we need to change this and refer to Dwejra under water so as to keep its legacy going,” he said. “What we’ve lost on top, we’ve gained below.” He said they would try not to leave it just as a niche for divers, but also target those who have Dwejra at heart.