Follow in the fins of Jacques Cousteau by participating in the Cozumel Scuba Fest 2014. Divers are invited to this special event which takes place in Cozumel, Mexico from 9th to 14th December this year. Participants follow a special ‘route’ – a programme of nine dives on nine reefs over four days that is specially designed to take in the top underwater highlights of Cozumel that oceanographer Cousteau famously said represented ‘one of the best places around the world for diving.’

The Scuba-Fest JM Cousteau Route 2014, named after Jean-Michel Cousteau, eldest son of Jacques Cousteau who participates in the event, visits renowned Cozumel dive sites including Palancar Caves, Paso Del Cedral and Punta Sur.

Palancar Caves is a very popular dive site with stunning topography. What starts as a wall dive, ascends to a maze of tunnels, gullies and canyons that twist and turn from the outer wall through to the inner reef in an explorer’s dream.

Paso Del Cedral is a favourite of photographers. Here you will discover schools of grunts and snappers sheltering in the swim-throughs and nurse sharks snoozing beneath rocky overhangs. Look out for the elusive Splendid Toadfish, which is endemic to the island of Cozumel.

To join the Scuba Fest, divers need a minimum certification of PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent; although more advanced divers will get the most out of the exciting and diverse dive sites on the island. Divers should allow a day for a check dive or refresher (if required) prior to the start of the organised dives which take place on 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th December.

Guests booking their holiday with Regaldive can pre-book their Scuba Fest Dive Pack at the special rate of £252 per person which includes nine guided dives (one night dive), a commemorative logbook, polo shirt, air or nitrox tanks, weights, and hire of mask and fins (if required).

Regaldive will tailor make your complete Scuba Fest package to also include flights, transfers and accommodation at a choice of hotels on Cozumel including the Allegro Cozumel Resort and the Occidental Cozumel Resort.  Day trips can also be arranged to the mainland for diving the Cenotes.  Divers wanting more time to explore the captivating Cenotes, or discover the many attractions of Mexico above water, can opt for a twin centre stay to combine the Cozumel Scuba Fest with a few days on the Riviera Maya.

To find out more, please call the Regaldive Team on 01353 659 999.

HRH The Duke of Cambridge officially took over the Presidency of the BSAC this week, Wednesday 9th July, at a special event in London. The event was also attended by HRH The Prince of Wales who was thanked for his 40 years tenure as President by BSAC Chairman Eugene Farrell.

During the event, The Duke of Cambridge donned scuba gear for a short pool dive and snorkelled with children and special guests. The Duke is well-known for his love of diving and has spoken of his wish to inspire a new generation of divers by ‘working with BSAC to encourage even more young people into the sport.’ Great news for diving!
 
Are you a BSAC Member? Save 6% on Regaldive holidays >

From encounters with over-friendly dolphins to stage-managed shoots with crocodiles, Malcolm Nobbs has captured it all on camera. As the man behind the lens of so many of the outstanding images Regaldive use, Malcolm is certainly well-travelled. We managed to catch up with Malcolm at his home in Australia between trips (I don't think he had even unpacked his suitcase!) to find out a bit more about what's in his kit bag, his most memorable dives and where he's off to next! 

Q.1: How did you get into underwater photography?

A.1: My first dive was near a small Egyptian town, Taba, in 1995.  I was staggered to discover such a rich and vibrant world existed beneath the waves. Until then I’d had no idea what I had been missing - such stunning soft corals and colourful sea life. But straight away, like most divers, I had the urge to capture some memories to take home. So it wasn’t long before I took a video camera underwater and subsequently I switched to stills photography, which I found more satisfying.

Q.2: What is your most memorable dive?

A.2: Any dive when I make a major mistake is a memorable dive and haunts me for weeks afterwards. Having dived for 19 years I’ve made a number of stupid mistakes.  But undoubtedly the worst was in July 2001 at the Blue Hole, Dahab, Egypt.  The Blue Hole is literally a hole in the reef that is around 55 meters wide, 300 metres deep with an archway which leads out into the Red Sea. It is reputed to be the most dangerous dive site in the world and has claimed many lives. I first dived through the archway, on air, in April 2001, having previously done a series of deep dives to help build up my resistance to the mind-clouding effects of Nitrogen Narcosis. I put a lot of planning into this dive, had two independent tanks in case one failed and support divers and all went well. I recorded what was for me a new personal maximum depth of 59.7 metres.

Three months later I decided to repeat this, again on air, preparing as before with a number of deep dives and having support divers and taking two tanks. My initial decent was faster than on the previous occasion, dropping 40 metres in 3 minutes whereas previously I had taken almost 6 minutes. I think  this was the cause of what was a new and frightening experience for me, a sudden and very strong sensation of nitrogen narcosis, causing me to misjudge my buoyancy control and hit a maximum depth of 70.4 metres as I exited the archway. Indeed I was close to losing control, and at that depth breathing air, vunerable to oxygen toxicity. Nevertheless within a minute I had ascended back up to 61 metres, three minutes later 50 metres and two minutes after that, 36 metres.  As I ascended higher, all feelings of narcosis quickly left me. But not the realisation that I had really pushed my luck - I had totally underestimated the danger of narcosis at depth. How very stupid. It certainly remains my most memorable dive and the thought of it still embarrasses me to this day!

Q.3: You’ve travelled extensively… what’s your favourite destination, and why?

A.3: For liveaboard trips it has to be Costa Rica’s remote Cocos Island, well known for its huge schools of hammerhead sharks. With at least 27 endemic fish species it should be on every diver’s wish list. For shore and day boat dives, I'm totally sold on Australia. The variety of sea life is staggering, from the whale sharks of Ningaloo Reef on the west coast, to the leafy sea dragons and great whites of South Australia. New South Wales has sea lions, seals, weedy sea dragons, fantastic macro life and a wide range of sharks and then further up the east coast there is the beauty and marine treasures of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea.

Q.4: What kind of camera equipment do you use?

A.4: In July 2012 I bought my present SLR, a Nikon D7000. It is a DX format camera like its predecessor the Nikon D200, enabling me to continue to use all my old D200's DX lenses. I have two Inon Z-240 strobes and my underwater housing is the Subal ND7000, rather rudely dismissed by my son as “looking like a container”.

Q.5: You’ve captured so many incredible moments… what’s your 'money shot'?

A.5: Possibly my best known 'money shot' is of a saltwater crocodile swimming between me and the bow of a dive boat. My dive buddy can be seen hiding behind the keel and looking up, a reflection on the water’s surface shows my wife looking down anxiously from the bow. It's proved a popular photograph. It’s also a fraud, totally stage-managed by me, even down to the contrived reflection.  The crocodile was less than two metres long and had a rope tied to its tail so that it could not reach me. I photo-shopped that out later. My buddy was not hiding behind the keel, he was holding onto the rope with one hand, the keel with the other.  My wife was not anxious, just fed up that I was taking so long to take the shot.

Q.6: Any particularly tricky subjects or hairy moments underwater?

A.6: Although I have dived in open water with many types of sharks including great whites, oceanic whitetips, tigers and bull sharks, I have to say I’ve rarely felt in danger.  Despite some at times hysterical media coverage to the contrary, most marine life is very cautious. Their motto seems to be: if in doubt, leave alone. To marine life, divers with scuba tanks sound very noisy. We probably seem like strange aliens and best avoided!  However “silent” surfers and swimmers can be mistaken for natural prey and clearly this is a concern. But bizarrely, what I think was my most hairy moment was an encounter with an overfriendly large bottlenose dolphin! I was diving near my old home town Folkestone, UK for what was intended as a simple shallow dive on 'my home patch'. The dolphin must have heard my bubbles underwater and decided to check me out.  She began to play with me, spinning faster and faster around and around me. The underwater visibility turned to zero. She seemed so huge and powerful. Even though I knew that she had no aggressive intentions towards me, I felt very vulnerable. Eventually she stopped and opened her mouth right in front of my face. It seemed very large! I kept still and she eventually became bored and disappeared.

Q.7: Any tips for budding photographers, underwater, or topside?

A.7: I can't offer any great insights into topside photos but hopefully I can do better underwater.  For a start you need good diving skills. Sometimes you have to try and remain in a fixed position to photograph, perhaps fighting a current or twisting at some awkward angle, and you often have to keep still. Move too quickly and you can frighten your subject.  Be clumsy and you can cause damage. Correct lighting is an essential element of a good underwater photograph. If the natural light is poor, you need to compensate with some flash, ideally from an external flash gun, rather than one built into the camera. Getting close to a subject is generally essential.  Unfortunately if there are particles in the water, the flash will illuminate the particles in front of your lens, thereby spoiling your shot. But you can avoid this if you use an external flash gun, angled so that it lights up your target but not the water between your camera lens and your subject. My goal is always to try and make it seem as though the subject is relaxed and interested in me and eye contact from the subject to my camera lens helps achieve this illusion.

Q.8: What’s next on your diving wish list? 

A.8: For me, it’s all about the marine life I hope to see. My next dive trip is to South Australia where I’m hoping to see great whites larger than any I’ve seen before, then Indonesia's Cendrawasih Bay to, fingers crossed, photograph whale sharks sucking small silverside baitfish out of fishermen’s nets.  I failed to see any sailfish when I visited Mexico last year, so next year I’m going back to try again and on the same trip I hope to see great hammerheads off the Caribbean's Bimini Islands.  My diving wish list just seems to grow bigger and bigger but next year I plan to tick off another must-do, South Africa’s Sardine Run...

We asked Malcolm to cpmpile his top 10 shots... Take a look at the album on our Facebook page here >

For more information or to see more of Malcolm's photographs, see www.malcolmnobbs.com

There's no need to fly to far-flung locations to learn how to dive! Press Association writer Nilima Marshall recently visited the Maltese Islands on a Regaldive holiday with her husband to earn her scuba stripes...

"Bruce Willis Ruins All Films," I say to my partner as we get ready to see the glimmering emerald sea in the beautiful Maltese island of Gozo. We're not debating the acting merits of the hunky Hollywood superstar, but rather making vital checks for our final diving adventure at Xlendi Bay. Before taking the plunge, we need to carry out pre-dive safety checks for Buoyancy, Weights, Releases, Air and 'Final okay' - and that's where the mnemonic comes in (sorry Bruce!). It sounds complicated, but it's actually quite a simple task - even for someone like me, who's never even had a swim at the beach, let alone descended 18 metres below the water's surface.

Equipment thoroughly examined, we head off to the bay for the final dive. As we slowly descend, an unseen enchanting world emerges before my eyes. Thousands of colourful fish of all shapes and sizes gently weave through this captivating underwater garden: amberjack, bream, red mullet and parrot fish are some of the many species that form Gozo's incredible marine life population. Hundreds of bream, shimmering in the water with silvery translucent bodies slowly glide past as we gradually move deeper. A spiky sea urchin slightly startles me as it scatters its spores into the ocean; we also sight a sea cucumber, fireworm, cardinals and a bright orange starfish resting on the rocks.

Our instructor Richard Salter spots a tiny octopus tucked away beneath the green seaweed - I can hardly believe my eyes. The entire experience is an amazing technicolour dream come to life - I feel like I've swum into the exotic, magical world of Finding Nemo.
After touching our deepest point at 18.5 metres and negotiating a rocky tunnel, I realise how breathing through a regulator and moving weightlessly has become second nature in only a few days.

We have enrolled to take part in a PADI course with St Andrew's Divers Cove in Xlendi. The programme aims to provide beginners like me with the basic skills for dives to up 18 metres. St Andrew's is a friendly dive centre, and a magnet for divers from around the world. The centre not only has 11 instructors but is just a few steps away from Xlendi Bay, which is perfect for newcomers like us, who are staying at St Patrick's Hotel nearby.

As a first-time diver, I have my apprehensions. Thankfully, Richard immediately puts us at ease, reassuring us that diving is actually one of the safest sports - providing you follow the rulebook, have reliable equipment, and you never dive alone or beyond your experience. "Diving is fun and amazing, but being complacent about your gear could get you into trouble," Richard warns us. With more 6,000 logged dives, he knows a thing or two about what could go wrong. "Diving is not a contest," he tells us in one of our training sessions. "The slower you move, the better diver you are."

During training Richard takes us through the basic theory and science of scuba diving. We learn about the effects underwater pressure has on the lungs and why it's important never to ascend or descend too quickly.. The trick is not to panic, which is easier said than done - especially when we are removing our regulators and masks underwater, simulating real-life scenarios, such as running out of air or losing our masks. The experience feels strange at first, but once we start trusting the equipment, we are hooked. I can't wait to get my PADI Open Water Diver scuba certification.

Seeing the world underwater is a dream for many people, and I consider myself fortunate I did not have to travel very far. A little over three hours away from London by flight, Gozo is pretty much on our doorstep. Home to more than 60 dive sites, Malta and Gozo have been awarded the second best diving destination in the world by Diver magazine last year (Egypt came first), because of their range of exciting wrecks and diversity of marine life.

While Gozo has one of the most incredible underwater environments, there's lots to do on this tiny island if you want to stay on land. Xlendi itself is a popular tourist destination, brimming with restaurants offering local fish and Mediterranean cuisine - and the secluded bay is the ideal place to unwind and catch the sunset. Gelateria Granola in Xlendi, I am told, is one of the best ice cream shops in Europe and the tiramisu flavour I order is absolutely delicious. Further afield is the Azure Window (or Tieqa Zerqa in Maltese) - a limestone arch near Dwejra Bay, popular with scuba divers as well as visitors. The site has featured in many films and television series, including Game Of Thrones. Mgarr Ix-Xini, a breathtaking, peaceful strip of blue water between two cliffs is also worth a visit. At the entrance to the bay are the crumbled remains of a coastal tower built by the Knights of St. John in 1658.

Malta itself is only a short ferry ride away, and we dock at Cirkewwa Harbour for a day of sightseeing. We drive through the island, past the busy beaches and cacti-strewn landscape to the capital Valletta - which was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 1980. The Grand Harbour is resplendent with history and character - from Fort Ricasoli, built by the Knights of Malta in 1693, to the beautifully restored 16th century warehouses and the leafy Upper Barrakka Gardens. Fort Ricasoli is occasionally used for filming - Russell Crowe is said to have wielded his sword while filming Gladiator within these fortified walls.

Malta is blessed with natural harbours and has long been a hub of commerce, but its strategic location means the country has been invaded by numerous rampaging forces. "Malta, Gozo and Comino were invaded many, many times - and fought over by the Phoenicians, Romans, French and British," our guide Nicolette Camilleri tells us. As a result, huge fortifications, including Fort St Elmo, had to be built around Valletta to deter the Turks from further invasion. Centuries later, British-ruled Malta was a target of more than 15,000 tonnes of bombs in the Second World War - becoming the most bombed location during the war. Malta was awarded the George Cross in 1942 as official recognition of the country's bravery.

We hop on to a traditional Maltese water taxi, known as 'dghajsa', for a leisurely ride through the harbour to the Vittoriosa Waterfront. Here, al fresco dining spots overlook the marina and private luxury yachts. (Chelsea football tycoon Roman Abramovich is said to have one docked here.) Among other attractions is the majestic St John's Co-Cathedral, hosting a treasure trove of priceless paintings. Built for the Knights of St. John in the 16th century, the building boasts spectacular ornate interiors with roof panels depicting scenes from John the Baptist's life. The island still retains a colonial feel and plenty of British references with old-fashioned red telephone and pillar boxes. The 'Silent City' of M'dina, with its narrow cobbled streets and mix of medieval and baroque architecture, makes it one of the most enchanting places on the island.

We conclude our tour by heading off to Rabat countryside for a quiet lunch at Rogantino's, the perfect place to get away from the crowded seaside. The 500-year-old building, which was refurbished to become a popular dining spot, exudes homely charm and rustic ambience. Rogantino's houses a variety of wines, including port and sherry dating back to the 1920s. The owner, Tony Grech, happened to come across a cache of fortified wines at a warehouse that had been abandoned 65 years ago.

As we relax in the restaurant gardens, unwinding with a glass of local chardonnay and admiring the overlooking lush vineyards, I begin to understand why the Maltese islands draw so many visitors from across the UK. Malta and Gozo may be diminutive islands, but they're priceless little gems floating in the Mediterranean, captivating us with a wealth of amazing, exotic attractions - on land and underwater.

Feature Credit: Nilima Marshall, Press Association

Image Credit: Rob Smith, St. Andrews Diver's Cove

If you haven’t discovered Marsa Alam yet, this resort is one that really does tick every box. Boat Diving. Shore Diving. House Reef Diving. Dugongs and Dolphins. Sharks. Wrecks. Legendary sites. Marsa Alam has it all!

Well-known as the liveaboard gateway to the Southern Red Sea, Marsa Alam is growing in popularity for its land-based diving. The range of diving here is simply mind-blowing… and unique in the Red Sea. Combine shore dives along the 100km stretch of pristine coastal reef, with boat trips to legendary Elphinstone and Sha’ab Samadai (Dolphin House). Take a jeep safari to visit the stunning seagrass habitat of Marsa Abu Dabbab and say hello to Dennis the Dugong and his turtle friends.

Choose from a great range of accommodation to suit all budgets and holiday styles.  Our Port Ghalib hotels offer the best access to boat diving and evening entertainment in the marina. Or get away from it all at one of our beachfront resorts. We can tailor-make a flexible dive package to combine boat, shore and house reef dive options at most resorts.

What’s more Marsa Alam can be reached with ease from both Hurghada & Marsa Alam airports, allowing greater choice of airlines, flight price and travel dates. 

Discover more about Marsa Alam here... with packages from just £399pp, this destination is sure to exceed your expectations.

For those who are as passionate about above-the-water adventure as they are about below-the-water exploration, then Regaldive has the ideal offering. Having teamed up with our sister company, adventure travel specialist Explore, we can offer divers the best of both worlds with an action packed dive holiday and Explore Tailormade add-on.

Divers venturing to the Maldives can enhance their adventure with an Explore Tailormade add-on in Sri Lanka. Bringing together sharks, rays and world-class drift dives with shrines, iconic temples, palaces and a Reclining Buddha, there’s no need for divers to compromise on this 12 day combo. After seven days exploring the oceanic volcanic mountain range of the Maldives - home to 26 atolls, a rich marine ecosystem and reefs, sandbars, islands and lagoons - divers will transfer to Sri Lanka. There they will spend five days exploring Dambulla World Heritage Site, the ancient city of Polonnaruwa, the 5th century Sky Fortress and the mountain town of Kandy.

A seven night dive holiday in the Maldives costs from £1,331 per person to include flights transfers and Half Board accommodation. The five day Sri Lanka Sights add-on costs from £440 per person.

Those looking to concentrate on one country can undertake an 11 day dive holiday and self-drive add-on in Oman. Divers can combine Oman’s fascinating underwater life with its famous above-the-water highlights including Nizwa Fort, Jebel Shams, Wadi Bani Awf and Muscat. Below the water, they can venture to the UNESCO protected Daymaniyat Islands, admire the two small wrecks on display at the Fahal Islands, see the larger Al Munassir Wreck and admire a variety of rays, leopard sharks, moray eels, green and hawksbill turtles and scorpion fish.

A seven night dive holiday in Muscat, Oman, costs from £768 per person to include flights, transfers and B&B accommodation. The four day Self Drive Arabian Adventure add-on costs from £365 per person.

Explore Tailormade add-ons are also available in Tanzania, Thailand and Borneo.

Call the Regaldive Team on 01353 659 999 to plan your next adventure!

Regaldive is excited to announce the release of tickets to the 2015 Sardine Run expeditions in South Africa. With tickets to the 2014 expeditions having sold quicker than ever, divers are advised to get in there quick to guarantee their place for next year.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest marine events on the planet, the Sardine Run takes in many phases and sees vast shoals of silver sardines moving over a hundred kilometres up the east coast of Africa. Accompanied by their food source, plankton, the sardines are stalked by predators for the duration of their journey including over 20,000 dolphins, orcas and bryde’s whales; thousands of copper sharks; hundreds of seals; tens of thousands of gannets and storm petrels, and hundreds of sea birds. Humpback and southern right whales can also be seen following the same route as they migrate from their summer feeding grounds to the southern and eastern coast of Africa.

Our nine day expeditions allow divers the unique opportunity to experience first-hand the wonders of the Sardine Run. Guests will travel in small groups and spend seven days diving, swimming and snorkelling in close proximity to the marine life. They will also have the opportunity to partake in optional above-the-water activities including a microlight flight over the Wild Coast, horse riding and trekking.

The 2015 Sardine Run expeditions will take place in the period from 16 June to 24 July 2015, with tickets costing from £2,577 per person for an eight night trip. Longer durations are also available. The price includes full board accommodation at Mbotyi River Lodge, transfers, diving, an expert guide, some dive equipment (cylinders, airfills and weight belt), full air support and a microlight flight, afternoon activities and a donation to a local conservation group.

For further information, call the Regaldive Team on 01353 659 999.

Regaldive Team Member John was lucky enough to spend a week on Grenada recently. Here's what he has to say:

I just got back from a great trip to the Caribbean island of Grenada and I’m pleased to say I had a fantastic time.  I know it’s often said, but Grenada really has got something for everyone.  Plenty of nice reefs and a good variety of wrecks for divers. The non- diver will not feel left out also, with plenty to see and do if wanted, or just time to relax on some beautiful beaches.

Staying at a couple of the hotels we feature and visiting the others was nice, just to see what lovely hotels we send our guests to.  True Blue Bay was probably my favourite hotel as it’s a little bit different with its bright colours and interesting artworks.  Blue Horizons Resort was also nice with great views from the rooms up the hillside, but still just a short walk from the wonderful Grand Anse Beach.

A quick look around the Flamboyant Hotel confirmed its spectacular location and I also met a group of Regal guests there and they were very pleased with their accommodation choice.  Of course there is also Spice island Beach Resort if you feel like splashing out on some luxury.

The first day full day on the island was a non-diving day and an island tour was arranged.  This was a great way to see a good snapshot of island life and natural beauty.  The centre of the island is mountainous and covered in forest. There are plenty of waterfalls to explore, some a short walk from the road and some a bit of a trek through the forest. Interesting stops also included the chocolate estate, rum distillery and nutmeg processing plant.

So how was the diving? Again there is something for every type of diver, variety being the key. The location of Aquanauts Dive Centre is perfect for exploring the dive sites on both the Atlantic and Caribbean sides of the island and most can be reached in 10 to 20 minute boat rides.

Grenada is known for its wrecks, the most famous being the Bianca C, the largest wreck in the Caribbean. It’s a must dive for any wreck fans, although experience is required due to its depth.  We also dived some smaller freighters, like the Shakem and Hema 1. I was really pleased to take some nice seahorse pictures on the Shakem.  The Hema 1 was a very intense dive.   As it followed the Bianca C we didn’t get a great deal of bottom time, but a lot was crammed into 20 minutes - nurse sharks, a blacktip shark, turtle and a lovely big spotted eagle ray.

There’s plenty for the reef lover to enjoy as well. I think I counted six different species of moray eel, some of which I’d never seen before.  Of course it’s always great to find seahorses and I also saw my first ever frogfish.  If you are not a fan of cold water diving you might like to know the water was a pleasant 27 degrees!  The sculpture park is also worth a visit and its shallow depths are great for snorkelers too.

Aquanauts Dive Centre certainly looked after us very well; a very friendly and professional dive operation. I was also impressed that requests from guests were accommodated - the group I mentioned wanted to dive the Bianca C a couple of times and that was easily sorted.

So I suppose I ought to finish by recommending the best way to relax at the end of a day of diving or sightseeing.  There is a drink that is the perfect way to end the day and that is a Rum Punch made with locally distilled Rum. Be careful though, as they are often made with the 80% proof version! All in all, I'd really recommend Grenada for anyone looking for a combination of great diving, good value for money, with lots to see and do topside... which makes for the perfect holiday I'd say!

Take a look at John's photos of his week in Grenada on the Regaldive Facebook page >

The Maltese archipelago is a jewel in the Mediterranean. Crystal clear warm waters, 300 days of sunshine a year, a wealth of fascinating history, and a warm, welcoming culture… add to this some incredible underwater topography and multiple shipwrecks, plus just three hours flying time from the UK, and it’s easy to see why Malta has become such a hotspot for British divers.

Best visited in the main season between May and October, Malta, Gozo and Comino’s clear, calm waters and sheltered bays offer the ideal conditions for divers of all levels, from complete beginners to deep and technical divers. The islands’ offer a tremendous diversity of underwater experiences and with many sites accessible from the shore, as well as by boat, Malta really does offer divers it all.

Discover Malta >

Malta offers a cosmopolitan and lively stay, being the main and more developed island of this small Mediterranean group. Malta’s history as a disputed land has led to an impressive collection of ship, plane and submarine wrecks that have led to Malta becoming known as the wreck capital of the Mediterranean. Dozens of shipwrecks, historic and artificial, mean that Malta is a key technical diving destination but the island is also an ideal place for beginners with plenty of sheltered coves. Malta’s calm, warm seas also make for excellent visibility and superb conditions for underwater photography.

Discover Gozo >

Equally photogenic, the smaller island of Gozo is an unspoilt paradise with a simple, rural charm. The action here is underwater where the spectacular scenery draws divers back to Gozo time and time again. Arches and tunnels have been carved out of the coastline and offer endless points of natural rugged beauty around its 27 mile coastline, coupled with tremendous underwater visibility. The Blue Hole is perhaps the most famous dive site on the island but there are many more caverns, tunnels and swim throughs, plus two artificial wrecks to explore at your leisure.

Above water attractions

Above the water, the Maltese islands offer plenty to keep visitors entertained after an exciting days diving. Guests can explore the ancient streets of the World Heritage City of Valetta. Malta's capital is renowned for its rich collection of prehistoric artefacts, the impressive Grand Master’s Palace and majestic St. John’s Cathedral. A visit to the 'Silent City' of Mdina is also a must.

Gozo is home to the world’s oldest free-standing structures, the Ggantija Temples, which even pre-date the pyramids. Also worth a visit is the picturesque hilltop citadel of Victoria (Rabat). For a true Maltese experience however, take a walk or cycle ride around the pretty villages and find plenty of hidden treasures – medieval churches, fresh local cuisine, private sandy coves, and a warm Mediterranean welcome at every turn.

Close by, the tiny island of Comino lying between Gozo and Malta, is car free, and offers a lovely diversion and peaceful visit with some of the archipelago’s prettiest coves and quiet beaches.

Experience the Maltese Islands

Malta is very easy to get to with an almost daily choice of scheduled and charter flights and little more than three hours flying time from the UK. This makes the Maltese Islands top choice for a short break destination. Both Malta and Gozo offer a range of accommodation to suit all budgets and dive centre managed apartments are available for the ultimate in value for money and convenience.

Diving is totally flexible with a range of shore, boat, and combined diving packages available in most areas, divers really can have it all in Malta.

Want to find out more? Contact the Regaldive specialist team on

01353 659 999 and let us help you plan your Maltese adventure.