- Reading
- 4 min
- Access
- boat
- Difficulty
- hard
Um El Faroud is a Libyan tanker wreck (110m), scuttled in 1998 off Wied iz-Zurrieq as an artificial reef. Sits at 18-36m. One of Europe's top 10 wreck dives.
A tragic history
MV Um El Faroud was a Libyan tanker 110 metres long. In February 1995, during a refit in Grand Harbour's dry dock, a gas explosion killed 9 Maltese dockyard workers. The ship was severely damaged and no longer seaworthy.
A second career underwater
In 1998, the Malta Tourism Authority decided to scuttle the wreck off Wied iz-Zurrieq as an artificial reef and diving attraction. The ship sits at 18-36 metres depth, clearly visible in the clear Mediterranean water. The top of the bridge is at just 18 metres, making it accessible even for Open Water certified divers.
An underwater ecosystem
Over two decades, the wreck has become a thriving artificial reef. Sponges, soft corals, and algae cover it, while moray eels, groupers, barracudas, and hundreds of smaller fish inhabit its interior. Um El Faroud is regularly rated as one of Europe's top 10 wreck dives.
Practical tip: Diving available through dive schools (not a shore dive; requires a boat). Minimum Open Water certification (18m) for the bridge, Advanced (30m+) for the seabed. Best visibility May-October. Combine with a Blue Grotto visit (same location — Wied iz-Zurrieq).
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Tip
Only for divers with Advanced OWD certification (depth >18m). Book a dive with a local operator in Zurrieq.
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Nearby
25 pts~200 m · ~2 min
Blue Grotto Boat Pier
The pier is the route’s logistics switch: in calm seas it adds a boat finale, in wind it becomes a viewpoint stop.
45 pts~340 m · ~4 min
Wied iz-Zurrieq
Wied iz-Zurrieq is a village and port from which boats depart for the Blue Grotto. A small fishing port in a rocky valley. Starting point for diving the Um El Faroud wreck. Seafood restaurants by the water.
75 pts~780 m · ~10 min
Blue Grotto
Blue Grotto is a system of 7 sea caves with a main chamber arch of 30m. The water glows blue due to light reflecting off the sandy seabed. Boats depart from Wied iz-Zurrieq (EUR 8).