Um El Faroud, Wied iż-Żurrieq

Verified2026-09-11 checkedWreck

A 110 m tanker scuttled as an artificial reef, reachable from the rocks without a boat.

Depth: 18–36 m59–118 ft
Difficulty: Advanced
Entry: Shore
Typical current: Light
Coordinates: 35°49.002′N 14°25.998′E
Activities: Scuba · Technical

The Um El Faroud was a Libyan tanker damaged by a gas explosion in dry dock in 1995 and scuttled off Wied iż-Żurrieq as an artificial reef. A winter storm later broke her in two, which opened the structure up. Deck is at about 18 m and the sand at 36. What makes her unusual is access: this is a large deep wreck entered by walking down steps and swimming out, no boat needed. The surface swim is long enough that many divers use a scooter or a tow.

By road to Wied iż-Żurrieq, southern Malta; shore entry with a 200 m surface swim.

Best season

ExcellentMay–Oct
FairMar–Apr
FairNov–Dec

Before you get in

Going inside a wreck is an overhead environment: silt can take the visibility in seconds, and there is entanglement. Swimming the outside of it is a different dive.
Past 30 m, where no-stop time and gas both go quickly and nitrogen narcosis starts to show.

Taken from this site’s recorded depth, type and current, and nothing else. An empty list is not a safe site — the sea on the day, the local geography and the boat traffic are not in it. The briefing on the spot comes first.

Conditions

Water temperature: 25.5°C78°F
Wave height: 0.8 m2 ft
Air temperature: 26.1°C79°F
Wind speed: 13.4 km/h8.3 mph

Updated 2026-10-07 16:15 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Conditions are reported for information only. Assess the site yourself and follow your guide and your training.

No live conditions for this site yet.

We only show numbers we can attribute to a source.

Sea state and tide

On a date

Tide · 10/7

High01:45-0.32 m
High13:45-0.29 m
Low20:00-0.52 m

Forecast heights against mean sea level. Real tides in a bay, a harbour or over a flat can differ — check an official tide table before you get in.

Pick a day to see its tide

Only wave height and wind are scored, because those are what close a boat ramp or a shore entry. Water temperature is reported and never scored: 12°C is an ordinary dive in a drysuit and punishing in a 3 mm, and a number that cannot see your suit has no business marking it down. Stars do not decide whether you get in — you and your guide do, on the day.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Marine life you may see

Red lionfishPterois volitansRare
Dusky grouperEpinephelus marginatusRare
Banded coral shrimpStenopus hispidusRare
European barracudaSphyraena viridensisSeasonal
Mediterranean morayMuraena helenaCommon
NudibranchNudibranchiaCommon
Common cuttlefishSepia officinalisCommon
European lobsterHomarus gammarusRare
Moon jellyfishAurelia auritaMay–AugSeasonal
John DoryZeus faberRare
Bearded firewormHermodice carunculataCommon
Common octopusOctopus vulgarisCommon
Marbled electric rayTorpedo marmorataRare
Loggerhead turtleCaretta carettaRare

From divers

What people who were in the water reported. Not a forecast, and not a judgement about whether the site is safe to dive.

No recent reports from divers. If you dived here in the last two weeks, you can say how it was.

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