Malta

Ahh, our annual "last blast" of sunshine before the autumn properly takes hold at home. We stayed in Buggiba in Malta for 11 nights, with about 7 days diving and 4 sightseeing. We did the PADI Nitrox and Deep courses while we were out there, but all of the dives were on great sites around Malta, Comino and Gozo. I wish we were back there again! Here are some of our photos...

	Just hangin' out in Valetta...
	...starting the day with a Diet Coke!
	The grand Harbour at Valetta (scroll for more - panorama)
	Preparing the noon gun at the Saluting Battery...
	...bang - noon precisely!
	A mega-yacht and a small coaster in the harbour.
	The "Sealion I" which took us to Comino for the day.
	Diving at the site of the Tugboat Rozi - Saddle Bream on the swim out.
	Approaching the stern of the Rozi - the seabed is at about 36m
	Ruth swimming between the rudder and stern post, you can just see the end of the prop shaft!
	Superstructure with Bogue & Bream
	Silhouette...
	Towing bollard on the bows
	White Bream swimming nonchalantly past.
	European Parrotfish - at this depth it looks pitch black and yellow without the camera flash!
	Bream everywhere.
	Anchor on the sandy seabed nearby.
	Back on the reef.
	Lighthouse for the reef and harbour.
	The Gozo ferry .
	The Cirkewwa reef from above water.
	Turkish Wrasse on the Cirkewwa reef.
	Sponges.
	Fire worm - those white bristles sting violently, hence the name.
	Cardinalfish - these lurk in the dark in caves or overhangs.
	Millions of bogue shoaling off the reef.
	Urchin.
	Painted Comber - well camoflaged in the sea grass but not over rock!
	Urchin lurking in a crevice - these sting too so are best given a wide berth.
	Dragonara point, site of a cave leading to a landlocked lagoon.
	Ruth, neatly trimmed as usual. I hate her for her grace underwater, makes me look bad!
	Ruth swimming up though a crack in the reef.
	Red starfish and another of those pesky urchins!
	Divers spread out along the reef in excellent visibility!
	Looking back from the entrance of Dragonara Cave
	Swimming out into the lagoon.
	Crayfish in a cavelet in the lagoon.
	Taking a brief glance above water!
	Swimming back out again!
	Finished diving now! Visiting the temple at Mnajdra Temple
	The temple set on a desert-like part of the coast.
	Ancient altar.
	Ruth in the temple.
	Carved stone.
	They literally created doors by cutting the middle out of a massive slab.
	Hagar Qim Temple.
	Cactus at Tarxien Temple
	Tarxien Temple
	Ruth at Ghar Dalam cave.
	Piece of cave floor left in tact, showing the different strata.
	Stalactites....
	....and.....stalacmites.
	The cave was lovely and cool...
	House front in Mdina.
	We were really taken with Mdina.
	Ruth hiding in the shade.
	The cathedral in Mdina
	At the old city walls.
	The main gate into Mdina.
	The Silent City of Mdina on its hill.
	Glass blowing! Our last stop before flying back to the UK.