One of our followers brought this article to our attention, an interview with Professor Timothy Gambin giving an overview of the history, present and future for underwater cultural heritage (including the many wrecks) around the Maltese Islands. The direct link to the article is https://indepthmag.com/a-dive-into-maltas-underwater-cultural-heritage-with-maritime-archeologist-timmy-gambin/, or follow the Facebook post below.
Transport Malta has announced in a Coastal Notice to Mariners 9 of 2024 that surveys will be conducted between the 15 March 2024 and 15 December 2024 in zones to the west and south of the Maltese islands. Fingers crossed and we hope that these surveys result in some interesting findings! The Notice to Mariners Read More
Last month Transport Malta has issued the updated Coastal notice to mariners regarding historical wrecks declared as archaeological zones at sea by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. If you’re a non-diver, or never dived these wrecks, most of these can be seen at https://underwatermalta.org/ To dive these wrecks, which are mainly under 50m depth, one Read More
We are reproducing below an email being circulated locally by the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) announcing its participation in a Maltese Blue Culture Technology Excellence Hub. According to information at http://bcthubs.eu: “BCThubs aims to build in the participating Widening countries (i.e. Greece, Bulgaria and Malta), Blue Culture Technology Excellence Hubs, as permanent structures, supporting Read More
The Times of Malta today reports about the discovery of human remains amongst the wreckage of a B-24 Liberator airplane. The plane has recently been opened for divers to visit as part of the Heritage Malta Underwater Museum technical dive sites. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) (USA) announced this news on the 31 August Read More
This interview published today on Maltatoday with Professor Timothy Gambin provides an insight into the reasons for declaring an underwater park 100m deep, as well as an insight into the importance and ways to appreciate our underwater heritage. A large stretch of seabed off Xlendi has just been inaugurated as a deepwater archaeological park: billed Read More
Timesofmalta.com reported today that the Serbian community organisation in Malta is to erect a monument on the Marsascala coast to recall the sinking, 105 years ago, of the ocean liner SS Polynésien some 3km offshore. A Serbian community organisation in Malta is to erect a monument on the Marsascala coast to recall the sinking, 105 Read More
Local media today announced that yesterday evening, an official announcement was done that a stretch of sea outside of Xlendi, Gozo has been declared the World’s first Deepwater Archaeological Park. The park is also complemented by the nearby Xlendi Tower which hosts some artefacts that had been recovered from the seabed and which was also Read More
From https://bdlbooks.com/product/archaeology-and-the-sea-in-the-maltese-islands/ The Maltese Islands have, since ancient times, been witness to various degrees of maritime activity. This movement of ships was mainly linked to the island’ excellent harbours. Over the last 50 years, the introduction and rapid increase of SCUBA diving around Malta and Gozo has led to numerous archaeological discoveries on the seabed. Read More
In an article on The Malta Independent, Albert Galea tells the story of when in the 1950s a huge WW2 bomb was found just outside St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, and by “luck” (read more in the article), responsibility on carting it away (without blowing up the Co-cathedral nor anyone close enough) ended up in Read More
The Munxar Local Council announced the official opening of the restored Xlendi Tower, which will house a collection of amphorae, some of which recovered from the nearby seabed more than 60 years ago. The official opening of the Xlendi Tower will happen on the 5 July 2023 at 19:00, which will also be the first Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 29/06/2023. During the summer of 1996 scuba-diver David Schembri, while underwater, came across an aircraft engine laying on the sea-bed fairly close to the island of Filfla, and at a distance from Dingli cliffs. He informed our Foundation about the find, and within a short while, wheels Read More
Timesofmalta.com reports today about the reopening of the Xlendi Tower, which will also include an exhibition of underwater artifacts retrieved nearby in the 60s which have been dated back to Roman Times. Read more about the Xlendi Tower restoration and re-opening here. Well done to authorities for displaying artifacts close to where they were recovered Read More
These islands have seen more wrecks than those we visit today… and maybe a few bits and pieces may still be lying around. Thanks to Kevin for sharing the below information about a lesser known event, and maybe spare a thought for those who did not survive them. Thanks to Kevin Aquilina, a wreck enthusiast Read More
From University of Malta News Website Prof. Timmy Gambin, from the Department of Classics & Archaeology, recently participated in a conference on new technologies in maritime archaeology held in Rabat, Morocco. The conference served as a platform for international experts from various backgrounds to share their research and innovative practices in the field. Gambin’s presentation Read More
Post by Mr Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 1 June 2022 The other day we showed you the reconstruction of the main-planes. This time we shall see what other components were required for the project to move on towards completion. NOTE: Today, in place is Maltese legislation protecting underwater cultural heritage.
Posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 26/05/2023. The other day we showed you the recovered Spitfire main-spar c/w undercarriage legs. These are necessary basic items required to commence reconstruction work on main-planes – most aircraft structures (possibly all) are built around their main-spars. In the accompanying photographs we shall show a quick progression Read More
The below page from the Archaeological Society of Malta contains the text of a report on the magnetometer survey results off the north-eastern coast of Malta 2010-2014: Mellieħa Bay, Salina Bay, and St Paul’s Bay carried out by University of Malta researchers.
The below page from the Archaeological Society of Malta contains the text of a report on two seasons of underwater surveys and excavations on a Roman shipwreck from the 3rd century AD, which originally had been researched and excavated first in 1967 by Honor Frost.
From The Malta Independent on Sunday Leafing through the pages of the annual reports on the working of the Museum Department for the years 1960-70, it is possible to have a particularly good overview of what was a relatively new specialised field and branch of research. Underwater archaeology started to thrive in the early 1960s Read More
Posted by Mr Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 19/05/2023 In 1947, the Air Scouts of Malta were presented with a complete Mk IX Spitfire, EN199. Sadly over the years it fell into disuse and also victim of souvenir hunters, vandals, etc. By 1976, little was left of the aircraft, and that was recovered by Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on 12/05/2023 On 16 February 1932, Dornier Do J Wal Jupiter VIII – 112 R Cabina Piaggio force-landed owing to engine trouble at a point 30 miles SW of Delimara at 08:50 hours local time. A 202 Squadron floatplane was dispatched to locate the aircraft with assistance of DF Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 05/05/2023 A long while ago, a fisherman, dropped by aviation our museum and handed over to us a barnacle encrusted aircraft part which had become entangled in one of his nets. He was aware that many years earlier an aircraft has come down in the sea off Read More
Post by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 28/04/2020 Times of Malta -Tuesday, March 29, 1949 Naval Air Crash at Delimara – Rescue Plane Driven Ashore Our Services Reporter Lieutenant (1) M.D. Stanley, R.N., the pilot of a Mosquito aircraft which crashed into the sea off Delimara Point on Saturday morning, has still not been Read More
Article & photos reproduced from post by Frederick Galea on Facebook posted on the 21/04/2023 The history of the Spitfire wreck located off the coast of Gozo is linked to Operation Husky – the Allied invasion of Sicily (10 July 1943-17 August 1943). After the Allied victory in North Africa (Operation Torch), a decision was Read More
Posted in a Facebook post on the 14 April 2023 by Frederick Galea. During the early morning 8 July 1942, seven Ju88s escorted by Bf109s and twenty-one MC.202s made for Luqa. The formation was intercepted by Spitfires from three squadrons. Flt Lt Lester Sanders led his 603 Squadron to attack the bombers, but they had Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea in a Facebook post on the 06/04/2023 Seafire-IIc MB293 – Parts of wartime Seafire recovered from seabed – Times of Malta, 27 April 1994 Parts of a wartime Seafire have been recovered from the seabed half a mile off Ramla l-Hamra, Gozo. The one-and-a-half ton wreck, consisting of the engine, parts Read More
Article and Photos posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 30/03/2023. A Malta Police Report reads as follows: “23.03.1943. – A Spitfire struck a cliff near Fungus Reek, Dwejra, Gozo, whilst trying to land in a field nearby. The pilot was extricated and conveyed to Victoria Hospital”. A 1995 cross-check with the records at Read More
Post by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 24/03/2023 The following information was derived during an interrogation of Lt Chilcott, T/Sgt Bullock, T/Sgt Hord and S/Sgt Robinson, by Intelligence Officer Captain Stephen C Van Fleet, United States Air Corps: 343 Squadron of the United States Army Air Force based in Lete in the Middle East Read More
Posted by Frederick Galea on 17/03/2023 on Facebook Saturday, 13 December 1941 – In the morning, six Blenheims of 107 Squadron took off from Luqa to strike at enemy shipping at Argostoli in the Ionian island of Kefallonia. A low-level attack was made on two merchant vessels and two warships. There was intense return fire Read More
At 11:25 hours nine Beaufighters of 272 Squadron took off to escort nine Beauforts of 39 Squadron on a shipping strike off Punto Stelo. At 11:38 hours Beaufighter T5174/N, with Sgt Donald Frazee RCAF, at the controls and Sgt Sandery as observer, began to vibrate violently and lost speed rapidly. There was no option but Read More
Alessandro Bajada is well known on social media for his photography, as well as for digitising and sharing vintage footage showing Maltese landscapes from decades ago. Below is a selection of videos that he has uploaded to Facebook that are relevant to diving, going back even 50 years ago! 1973 – First Northern European Championships Read More
Shared by Frederick Galea on Facebook on 3 March 2023 A Maryland was lost on 15 February 1942. During an afternoon patrol of the Central Ionian Sea, Sqn Ldr Lowry and his crew aboard AR714 (Flg Off John Bosley, Sgts Durrant and Rasmussen) located an Italian naval force comprising three cruisers and eight destroyers.On the Read More
Post on Facebook Shared by Frederick Galea on 24/02/2023 More scuba-dives on the sunken wreck of the Bristol Beaufort took place between 12-24 October 1992, by a group of RAF divers out from the UK, led by Master Engineer Phil Nobbs; Chief Tech Chris Manning, Sqn Ldr John Sadler, Flt Lt Mark Istance, WO Dave Read More
From Facebook post by Frederick Galea on the 17/02/2023 Bristol Beaufort DW805 ditched off the coast below Fort St Leonardo owing to engine problems on 21 August 1942 – an OADU aircraft. Sgt Pritchard, the WOP/AG, was slightly injured in the crash, but Plt Off Moody and his crew took to their dinghy and were Read More
From Facebook post by Frederick Galea on the 10/02/2023 A Rolls Royce Merlin aero-engine from a Hawker Hurricane wartime crash site lay on the seabed off the Marsascala/Zonqor area for many years in 16m of water. The images shown are dated late 1970s, and in the early 80s, during one of my recovery ‘adventures’, I Read More
Article & Pictures posted by Frederick Galea on Facebook on the 03/02/2023 Another of my ‘adventures’ was the organising of the recovery of a Daimler Benz 601 aircraft engine from an underwater crash site of a Messerschmitt Bf109 off Bahar ic-Caghaq, some years back. Needless to say, friends of mine from the scuba-diving fraternity were Read More
On the 23 January 2023 Transport Malta issued Notice to Mariners 04 of 2023 – Archaeological zones at sea – Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (Consolidated list January 2023) The list includes the sites protected under the Cultural Heritage Act (CAP445). As per the notice, several conditions are required to carry out diving operations at these Read More
Article and Pictures posted on Facebook by Frederick Galea on the 27/01/2023 In the evening of 5th March 1941, an estimated sixty bombers accompanied by Messerschmitt fighters, raided the Island. The Ju87 (J9+CH Werk-Nr.5297) crewed by Uffz Wilhelm Singer and Obgfr Paul Stapf was shot down into the sea off Zonqor Point. On 22nd June Read More
HeritageMalta reported on it website that The Malta Airport Foundation is pleased to announce that it is supporting Heritage Malta’s pioneering work to declare an underwater site the world’s first deep-water archaeological park. First discovered in 1993 just off Xlendi Bay in Gozo, the site lies at 105 metres below sea level and is composed Read More
Timesofmalta.com reports that the Malta Airport Foundation has launched Submerged World, a mini-series documenting six of the Maltese islands’ most popular diveable wrecks. The six-part series kicked off with an instalment on the tanker Um El Faroud, which was scuttled 1998, becoming one of the Maltese Islands’ first artificial reefs and diving attractions. The six-minute Read More
The Heritage Malta Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit takes care of Wrecks and other Underwater Cultural Heritage around the Maltese Islands. This entity manages the deep wrecks around the Maltese Islands, many of which can be virtually visited in the Underwater Malta Virtual Museum. To visit these wrecks, a booking system is operated through Diving Centres Read More
From “The Malta Independent” Research on a Phoenician-era shipwreck off Xlendi in Gozo can help us better understand our past, Professor Timmy Gambin told The Malta Independent. “Our research is important because nobody has excavated at the depth that we have excavated. To a certain extent, we’ve unlocked at least some of the doors for Read More
From Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/events/7637958129610354/?ref=newsfeed Details —————————————-We have a small number of seats left for non-members. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT. TO REGISTER, SEND AN EMAIL TO: info@wirtghawdex.org with email subject: “7th July event”. Registration will take place on a first come, first served basis. If you would like to attend similar future events, and Read More
From the Malta Independent The government has committed €140,000 through an agreement with the University of Malta for continued studies on an underwater Punic wreck off the coast of Xlendi. The agreement was signed by Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri and university Rector Alfred Vella. Camilleri said the discovery merits full attention as it can shed Read More