{"id":566,"date":"2017-04-15T21:53:41","date_gmt":"2017-04-15T20:53:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.josephcaruana.co.uk\/diving\/?p=566"},"modified":"2017-04-17T10:52:08","modified_gmt":"2017-04-17T09:52:08","slug":"technical-dive-on-the-xlendi-wreck","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.josephcaruana.co.uk\/diving\/2017\/04\/15\/technical-dive-on-the-xlendi-wreck\/","title":{"rendered":"Technical dive on the Xlendi wreck"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today I finally visited the wreck of Xlendi<\/em>, a ferry that used to\u00a0make the crossing between Malta and Gozo back when I was a little boy. \u00a0After it was decommissioned, it was scuttled off the coast of Xatt l-Ahmar in 1999. \u00a0I have done many dives at this site, mostly on the nearby\u00a0Karwela<\/em> and Cominoland<\/em> wrecks, but I had not yet descended upon the M.V. Xlendi<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Upon arriving at the site, I could not help but smile at the wonderfully blue sea glimmering under a warm sun.<\/p>\n

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Xatt l-Ahmar with Fort Chambray to the left.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We were going to be four divers in all: Brian from Atlantis Diving Centre<\/a>, myself and another two lovely divers from Italy. \u00a0We planned a bottom time of 25mins, and would carry out our decompression using 51% Nitrox. \u00a0When we had all kitted up, we proceeded to the our entry point, and one by one jumped into the inviting waters.<\/p>\n

We slowly made our way down, and before we knew it, there she was: the M.V.\u00a0Xlendi<\/em>. Unfortunately, when the M.V. Xlendi<\/em>\u00a0was scuttled, it\u00a0settled upside down on the 42m-deep bottom, so we first\u00a0came by the rudder, visible in the picture below.<\/p>\n

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The rudder of the M.V. Xlendi<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we\u00a0proceeded slowly along the hull, I took in the shape of this vessel that I still remember boarding in my childhood.<\/p>\n

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The bottom of the upturned M.V. Xlendi<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

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A diver finning over the\u00a0bottom of the\u00a0M.V. Xlendi<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When\u00a0the M.V. Xlendi turned upside down and settled on the bottom,\u00a0the superstructure dug deep into the sand; these two factors made this wreck unstable. \u00a0In addition,\u00a0there\u00a0not enough\u00a0suitable\u00a0exit points, so all these problems conspire to make this wreck\u00a0a\u00a0very dangerous one to penetrate. \u00a0For this reason, we only kept to the very outermost part of the wreck from which we could exit at any point through large windows to our right. \u00a0The visibility was excellent and we took care not to stir any silt as we proceeded down the length of the M.V.\u00a0Xlendi<\/em>.<\/p>\n

It is very strongly advised that divers do\u00a0not venture inside; even if you only plan to take a peek at\u00a0the very outermost section, only do this accompanied by divers who are well-experienced with this wreck. And never be tempted to explore any deeper into it! \u00a0Needless to say, excellent\u00a0buoyancy control and adequate training are a must, as it is very easy to stir up silt and end up in serious trouble in such overhead environments. \u00a0These warnings are by no means an exaggeration: unfortunately, there has already been a fatality at this wreck.\u00a0\u00a0The signs warning you to keep out are there for a very good reason. \u00a0Remember:\u00a0there is nothing inside that is worth losing your life for.<\/p>\n

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Exploring the very outermost part of the M.V. Xlendi<\/em> in the company of a very experienced guide.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Upon exiting the wreck, we turned around to come upon another smaller wreck, and\u00a0a very different and unusual one at that: a car that has made this place its final resting place\u00a0since the year 2000. \u00a0Unusual it might be, but I found it to be very photogenic, so much so that it even managed to steal the limelight and make it as the featured picture of this blog post, despite the main wreck\u00a0being the M.V. Xlendi<\/em>!<\/p>\n

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A more unusual wreck that sits beside the M.V. Xlendi<\/em>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Once our bottom time was up, we started our slow ascent.<\/p>\n

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Commencing our ascent.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As we completed our decompression stops, one by one, we hovered at the very last\u00a0decompression stop at 3m, where we met some ever curious and friendly Ornate wrasse.<\/p>\n

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Colourful entertainment during our final decompression stop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’ve put together a short video clip of the dive here:
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