reef

Log This Dive

Il-Merkanti

Il-Merkanti is one of those sites we always try to hit when we're around Comino. It’s a proper reef dive, not too deep, maybe 18 metres at its maximum. You drop onto this rocky plateau, covered in Mediterranean tapeweed, and then it slopes down into a series of gullies and crevices. What we really love here are the Pink Plate Weeds; they just glow. And if you take your time, really poke around, you'll find Glycerine Worms and Lamellose Wentletraps tucked into the cracks. We’ve seen garrupa here a few times, big ones, just lurking. Schools of anchovy pass through, occasionally kicking up a bit of a shimmer in the water. We also get a kick out of watching the Painted Combers going about their business. This site suits divers who appreciate the smaller stuff, those willing to slow down and really look. It’s also great for photographers. The light can be fantastic in the late morning, filtering through the water and hitting those calcareous green alga. It’s generally a pretty calm dive, making it ideal for a relaxed second or third tank of the day.