Also known as
West Reef, Right Wall, Bell Tower Cave, Bell Cave
Interest
Cave & Reef & Wall
Popularity
High
Depth
5m (avg), 25m (max)
Qualification
Advanced
Shore access
Easy
Location
35.8196° N 14.4502° E (Exact)
35°49.176' N 014°27.012' E
35°49'11" N 014°27'1" E
Rating
★★★ from 3 divers

West Reef & Caves is one of the two reef dives in Wied iz-Zurrieq, the other being East Reef. West Reef has drop-offs, ledges, gullies, boulders and two caves surrounded by sea grass and sandy areas. The caves are Bell Tower Cave with three entrances on top of each other, the deepest one at 27 metres, and Mouse Hole Cave, named after its narrow entrance, at 25 metres of depth. There are also other caverns and holes in the reef for divers to explore.

A bit away from the reef there is a diving helmet statue on sand about 28 meters deep. The statue is a full-sized mock-up of an old-fashioned brass diving helmet on a concrete block, sitting on sandy bottom surrounded by fields of seagrass. The underwater statue is also a navigational landmark on the way to nearby Um El Faroud wreck. The helmet statue was placed on 3rd July 2005 by a local Maltese diving club ATLAM Sub Aqua Club in celebration of their 50th anniversary.

Other underwater statues in Malta are Statue of Our Lady (Madonna) in Cirkewwa, Statue of Christ (Kristu tal-Bahhara) off Qawra Point, and Crib nativity scene in Ghar Lapsi.

Diving helmet statue waiting on big fish [Matjaz Repnik] Cavern access [Matjaz Repnik] hidden.... [Matjaz Repnik] lovely cavern on way to wreck [Matjaz Repnik] Diver outside the cave Bell Tower Cave Cavern access [Matjaz Repnik] Sea life [Matjaz Repnik] West Reef Small valley on the West Reef in Wied iz-Zurrieq Shoals of fish at West Reef

Comments and Ratings

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Matjaz Repnik, November 2022:
★★★☆☆ Lovely place to hide and wait that some fish swim around
Adam Sant, July 2020:
★★★☆☆ Decent dive. Nicest as a night dive.
Mika Tanninen, January 2015:
★★★★ Caves are nice to explore, but otherwise not much to see.

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