The Inland Sea is a varied dive on the west coast of Gozo starting in a small inland lake. The dive follows a tunnel out to the open sea where sheer cliffs give amazing drop offs swarming with marine life before heading back through the tunnel to finish the dive.
Inland Sea Dive Details
Entry Point: Inland Sea near Dwejra Point. Shallow entry from a slippery pontoon, but be aware of boat traffic through the tunnel
Maximum Depth: Wall drops to 35 metres and then the sea bed continues deeper. The wall is sheer to the surface so shallow dives are possible but there is often a swell
Diver Level: Experience needed for the depth and the tunnel swim at the start and end of the dive
Kit Needed: Normal dive kit plus torch for tunnel and surface marker buoy
Dive Plan: Enter the water at the Inland Sea and snorkel to the cave entrance. Drop down onto the boulders at 4 metres and head down to the cave floor. Follow this through the tunnel until clear water is reached. The tunnel floor is at about 30 metres so pick your depth for the swim through. From the sea side of the tunnel entrance follow the cliffs to the left or right for a short while before returning to the tunnel. Follow the tunnel towards the Inland Sea exploring the ledges and chimneys gradually decreasing depth. The ledges in the tunnel are perfect for a safety stop. The dive ends at the boulders on the tunnel entrance with a short snorkel back to the beach.
Photography Notes: The photography options within the tunnel are limited as depth, overhead traffic and other divers need to be the focus. Once the cliffs are reached there are a variety of options from small squidy things on the walls to large fish shoals in the deep blue.
READ MORE: SHORE DIVES IN GOZO
Diving the Inland Sea at Dwejra
Coming down the bumpy track, tourists spilling over the road, the green waters of the Inland Sea come into view. A seawater lagoon on Gozo, it is linked to the Mediterranean Sea through a narrow arch. Originally a sea cave formed by a geological fault in the limestone, a collapse of the cave roof led to the formation of the lagoon.
On the shore are small fishermen’s huts, their boats pulled up along the stony pebble beach. Swimmers enjoy the warm waters and snorkel in the shallow lagoon with a pebbly bottom. Luzzijiet, small fishing boats, potter around the lagoon taking visitors through the archway and out into the open sea beyond to visit the cliffs and remains of the Azure Window.
Descending through the swimmers the entrance to the archway comes in to view. A dark tunnel with no light ahead is the start of the dive. Gradually heading deeper the light at the end of the tunnel starts as a pin prick, becoming larger as we follow the walls of the cliffs.
Eventually the sheer walls beyond the archway are found. Towering above us to the surface and beyond they are alive with fish and life. Jacques Cousteau often said this, linked to the Blue Hole and Azure window dive sites was one of his top ten dives in Europe and it is easy to see why. Nudibranchs and coral cling to the rocks while small fish dart in and out, using the colours as cover for their presence. Shoals of smaller fish rove up and down the cliffs as larger hunters patrol for weaker fish that may be an easy meal.
The only way to return from the dive is back through the tunnel, darkness for safety stops on a shallow ledge before returning to the light and pebbly lagoon and the legs of swimmers!
oTHER Dives Near the Inland Sea
- Booming Cave
- Xlendi Bay
- All dives from Gozo