NUOVA CARMELINA - Gozo
The Nuova Carmelina is a genuinely unusual Gozo dive, mostly because it’s not really a dive at all. This shipwreck, just 5m deep, sits right at the water’s edge near Xatt l’Ahmar, making it perfect for snorkelers or very shallow divers looking to spend a long time exploring. We love how accessible it is, a proper piece of history you can just swim out to from the shore. It’s a bit of a scattered wreck, not one intact vessel, but the remains of an old cargo ship that broke up years ago. You’ll find twisted metal plates and broken beams, with sunlight dappling through the shallows. Look closely and you’ll spot a surprising amount of life hiding amongst the fragments – small damselfish flitting about, the occasional octopus tucked into a crevice, and plenty of nudibranchs if you have a keen eye. It’s a fantastic spot for macro photography without the hassle of deep diving. We’d suggest going in the early morning; the light is softer, and you often have the place to yourself before the day-trippers arrive.
- Location
- Gozo, Malta, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 37.091667, 13.952778
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 5m
Best Time to Dive in Gozo
The warmest water temperatures in Gozo occur in August, averaging 27.7°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 15.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 16.4°C
- February: 15.3°C
- March: 15.3°C
- April: 16.1°C
- May: 18.5°C
- June: 22.6°C
- July: 26.3°C
- August: 27.7°C
- September: 27.1°C
- October: 24.5°C
- November: 22.0°C
- December: 18.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Gozo
- ARIANNA PRIMA - 7m (wreck)
- ARSIA - 6m (wreck)
- Atlantis Diving Centre - 5-20m (shore)
- Big Bear-Little Bear - 10-25m (pinnacle)
- Billinghurst Cave - 10-25m (cave)
- Billinghurst Cave - 10-25m (cave)
- Blue Grotto (cave)
- Blue Grotto (cave)
- Blue Hole (cave)
- Bottleneck Cave (Dive Site) (cave)
- Calypso Cave (cave)
- Cathedral Cave (cave)
- Cave of Wheat (cave)
- CHIOS REEFER - 26m (wreck)
- Cirkewwa - 10-30m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to NUOVA CARMELINA
Marine Life in Gozo
Home to 24 recorded species including 12 reef fish, 3 hard corals, 2 whales & dolphins, 2 seagrass & algae, 2 sharks & rays, 1 other.
Notable Species
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense) - Reef Fish
- Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) - Reef Fish
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
- Garrupa (Serranus cabrilla) - Reef Fish
- Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
- Moonfish (Mola mola) - Reef Fish
- mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) - Jellyfish
- killer alga (Caulerpa taxifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
- Scarlet Coral (Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea) - Hard Corals
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
Recommended Packing List for NUOVA CARMELINA
Based on average water temperature of 20.9°C, currents 9 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 21°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories