POPI - Gozo
Popi, resting in the shallows off Gozo’s ferry berth, is a surprisingly engaging little wreck. Sunk in 1971, this 50-metre motor vessel has settled upright, her superstructure largely intact and sitting in just two metres of water. It’s an easy, relaxed dive, or even a snorkel, where you can trace the deck and peer into the wheelhouse. Schools of juvenile barracuda often hang around the mast, and we’ve spotted moray eels tucked into crevices along the hull. It’s perfect for new divers or anyone looking for a calm, shallow exploration, especially if you’re waiting for a ferry and have an hour to kill.
- Location
- Gozo, Malta, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 36.005077, 14.335870
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 2m
Marine Protected Area: Ġebel ta\' Bejn il-Kmiemen, limiti ta\' Għajnsielem
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 POPI
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 POPI
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