Updated: April fool post :) – Major building contractors bid for Malta’s diving sites
Update 2 April 2025: Yes, as many guessed the below post was just an April fool’s post. A few also commented that we should not share such an idea, which is understandable. We have more posts coming in the near future related to other “real” developments on sites. However, we still hope some found the post to be entertaining 🙂
Multiple construction magnates have been reported to have proposed to Government a project to take over all of Malta, Gozo and Comino’s diving sites except for historical wrecks currently managed by the UCHU. They are also being joined by Azzopardi Group, one of the major Tuna farm ranchers.
The move is apparently being proposed as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) project, but there are also hints that they might be looking at spreading development further into Outside Development Zones by creating new projects in the marine space.
Ask for comment, the CSR Spokesperson for leading Gozitan entrepreneur Joseph Portelli’s company, one of the main project partners, stated that:
We are looking at giving to the Maltese Islands a real push in marine protected area conservation. Diving sites, being one of the few places where we cannot construct flats or hotels , need to be better managed so we can use them as a selling point for a new American diver niche market that our strategists have identified to be very promising. Since Trump’s election, many are fearing the oil & gas industry will start drilling all around the USA with all the potential effects to marine life and diving sites being unknown. They are looking for alternative bases to go live in and therefore we will be offering them our properties. However, we have to show them well-managed diving sites for this.
Our efforts will be geared towards improving diving sites. We will do this by providing changing rooms, bathrooms & showers, kitting up benches and marine lifts at major underserved diving spots such as Miġra l-Ferħa, Wied iz-Żurrieq, Għar Lapsi and Delimara. Gozo will also be firmly up there in our offer, with such facilities also provided all along the north shore of Gozo. Charity begins at home and Joseph is pretty much geared to take care of his home island first. Planning applications will be filed this week for Reqqa, Bilingshurst, Cathedral Cave, Wied il-Mielaħ and Xatt l-Aħmar. All iconic diving sites where so far one needs to go have a wee behind rocks or some prickly pear.
Together with other developers, such as the Polidano and Vassallo groups, and Azzopardi Fisheries who have plenty of experience in the marine space as tuna ranchers, we will also finally place permanent marine protected area markers and perimeter lines all around wreck diving sites. A daily shuttle service (weather depending) will also be introduced where divers will be shuttled to floating pontoons at 20 boat dive locations which so far are seldom visited. Divers will be able to dive & ascend back to these pontoons which will be placed in site between April and December each year. We are also studying the possibility of fitting them with solar powered divers lifts. This will be a never-before attempted new initiative that will put Malta on the divers’ map. FIlfla island will be the first to be served with this feature, with a pontoon slated to be put in place by the end of May near Stork Rock.
An exciting project we are working on is also to use our primary construction waste from dismantling old buildings – limestone blocks – to create new artificial reefs offshore to the east of Malta which will over 20 years rival the life seen at the Red Sea and even attract passing sharks and dolphins.
Prodded for whether these developers are simply looking at new developments, the spokesperson clarified that a small coffee shop at each dive site is the only additional money-generating development that would be carried out. This so that divers may have snacks and drinks before, in between or after their dives and preventing other vans and mobile kiosks from sprouting around the improved diving sites. A floating divers’ hotel is also being proposed by Debono developers off Dwejra, as this is one of the few spots from where the forest of cranes at their new Hard Rock Hotel site is not visible from.
Asked for comment, newly appointed Tourism Minister Ian Borg lauded this initiative.
I have never dived myself but planning to soon try out scuba for the first time as soon as the heated water at my home’s swimming pool is fixed. This initiative will make the Maltese Islands more appealing for divers and bring in more quality tourists and high income/high spending expatriates. I am told 130,000 come yearly for diving tourism but we could well swell that up by at least a factor of three.
What do you think? Contact Us to get your opinions.
