Scuba diving in Bristol Beaufighter

  • must see
Access
From Boat
Diver level
Advanced
Depth
Average: 33 m
Maximum: 36 m
Current
None
Visibility
Average: 10 m
Maximum: 30 m
The Bristol Beaufighter is an aircraft, found at the mouth of St. Julian's Bay. During World War II, equipped with the first usable intercept radar the Bristol Beaufighter was the first success against German night raids during the winter of 1940/1941. But in 1943 when it left Malta on a mission, a mechanical problem forced the pilot to ditch the aircraft into the sea, where it is still lying upside down on a sandy bottom with most of the plane buried in the sand. This wreck dive is easily accessible, though this is a treat for more experienced divers.

When to go

Diving can be done any time of the year, though the best time is from May to November. The average water temperature in January stays around 15C/59F and around 26C/78F in August.

What to see

What remains of the Beaufighter is the center fuselage and the wings which are intact, also the starboard engine boasts a bent propeller. Moray eels and conger eels, hermit crabs and bream can be seen frequently.

Reachable from

Sliema

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