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Manoel Reef

Manoel Reef, tucked into the Marsamxett Harbour, often gets overlooked for Malta’s flashier wrecks, but we find ourselves returning here time and again. It’s an easy shore dive, accessible from the rocks near Manoel Island, which is a big plus when you’re not looking for boat faff. The reef itself isn't a dramatic wall, more a gentle slope of rocky outcrops and seagrass beds, perfect for macro enthusiasts and anyone keen to take their time exploring. We’ve had some cracking encounters here. Look closely among the Mediterranean tapeweed and you’ll often spot seahorses, delicate and shy, clinging on. It’s also a good spot for nursehounds resting under ledges and we’ve even seen loggerhead turtles glide past on occasion, especially in late summer. The visibility can vary with harbour traffic, but on a good day, it’s a calm, shallow dive, rarely deeper than 15 metres, where the light plays beautifully through the calcareous green algae. Our tip? Go early on a weekday; it gets much quieter and you’ll have the reef to yourselves.