HMS Stubborn - Malta Island
We love a good submarine wreck, and the HMS Stubborn certainly delivers. Lying on her port side in about 57 meters, this is definitely one for the experienced trimix crowd, but what a dive it is. Dropping down, the sheer scale of her reveals itself slowly. We’ve found the conning tower still feels remarkably intact, and the torpedo tubes are a real highlight – you can almost picture the crew. Schools of barracuda often circle the wreck, glinting in the shafts of light that penetrate the deep, and the resident groupers are surprisingly bold, eyeing you from shadowy nooks. It's not a shallow potter, so plan your gas carefully, but the reward is a quiet, contemplative exploration of a vessel that saw real history. We always recommend getting an early start; fewer boats mean you might just have her to yourself, which really adds to the atmosphere.
- Location
- Malta Island, Malta, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 35.982533, 14.446167
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: Il-Ġebla tal-Għallis, limiti tan-Naxxar
Best Time to Dive in Malta Island
The warmest water temperatures in Malta Island occur in January, averaging 16.8°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 16.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 16.8°C (air: 13.8°C)
- February: 16.8°C (air: 13.8°C)
- March: 16.8°C (air: 14.3°C)
- April: 16.8°C (air: 16.2°C)
- May: 16.8°C (air: 19.8°C)
- June: 16.8°C (air: 24.1°C)
- July: 16.8°C (air: 27.2°C)
- August: 16.8°C (air: 27.7°C)
- September: 16.8°C (air: 25.6°C)
- October: 16.8°C (air: 22.3°C)
- November: 16.8°C (air: 19.1°C)
- December: 16.8°C (air: 15.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Malta Island
- Ahrax Bay - 5-15m (reef)
- Anchor Bay (Dive Site) (reef)
- Balluta Bay (Dive Site) (reef)
- BARGE 2 - 60m (wreck)
- Cirkewwa - Outer Reef (Dive Site) (reef)
- Cirkewwa - Susie's Pool and Reef (Dive Site) (reef)
- Dragonara cave (cave)
- Filflette (Dive Site)
- Ghar Lapsi - Left Reef (Dive Site) (reef)
- HMS KINGSTON - 5m (wreck)
- HMSM STUBBORN - 51m (wreck)
- IMPERIAL EAGLE - 28m (wreck)
- Is-Sikka l-Bajda
- Is-Sikka tal-Qawwi
- Jesus of Qawra
Nearest Dive Centres to HMS Stubborn
Marine Life in Malta Island
Home to 62 recorded species including 39 reef fish, 4 hard corals, 4 whales & dolphins, 3 seagrass & algae, 2 other, 2 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense) - Reef Fish
- Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) - Reef Fish
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
- Garrupa (Serranus cabrilla) - Reef Fish
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) - Reef Fish
- Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
- Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
- killer alga (Caulerpa taxifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Scarlet Coral (Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea) - Hard Corals
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- Common Spiny Lobster (Palinurus elephas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) - Hard Corals
- Tub (Chelidonichthys lucerna) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly blenny (Blennius ocellaris) - Reef Fish
- Lanternfish (Hygophum benoiti) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for HMS Stubborn
Based on average water temperature of 16.8°C.
- Wetsuit (5-7mm) - recommended for 17°C water
- Hood & Gloves (3-5mm) - helps retain warmth
- 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