Marsalforn’s Double Arch

It had been a while since the last time I did a dive at Double Arch. And I had never done it in closed-circuit. On a day that regaled us with the most beautiful of dawns, all this was set to change. The early morning sky availed itself of a palette of delicate hues, gracefully carving out whirls of cloud that exhibited perfect twists and forms.

The JJ in the foreground and the Qolla l-Bajda in the background during a colourful dawn.

We started the dive at Xwejni Bay. We made our way out for about 20mins until we came to the drop-off. That first peek at the depths below is an exhilarating experience in itself. Then, we let ourselves fall by this submerged cliff until we reached the bottom.

From here, we proceeded westward along the cliff’s wall making our way to the Double Arch – a marvel of underwater geomorphology that is suitably described by its title.

Approaching the Double Arch.

We were greeted by a number of amberjacks that seemed very much unfazed by our presence – no doubt thanks to our peacefully silent gliding made possible by the use of bubble-free rebreathers.

The Double Arch up close.

Following this we proceeded with a gradual ascent and a leisurely trip back for a total runtime of 142 minutes. A dive to be repeated! A short video clip is found below.

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