Comino
P-31 Wreck

Maximum depth
Maximum depth
20
Access
Access
Boat
Underwater Topography
Underwater Topography
Sand
Experience Level
Experience Level
Beginner
Wreck name
Wreck name
P31
Swimthroughs
Swimthroughs
Yes

How to get there

The P31 is found on the tiny island of Comino which lies between Malta and Gozo in the Mediterranean sea. You can get to Comino via a ferry service. If you’re staying in Malta, all you need to do is follow the signs to Cirkewwa, the northernmost part of the island, where small boats offer a shuttle service to and from Comino. Alternatively, if you’re staying in Gozo, you can catch a boat from Mgarr Harbour.

Explore P31 wreck

The only wreck around Comino and one of the shallower ones to freedive, the P31 was a Kondor I minesweeper built in Germany in 1969, before being transferred to the Armed Forces of Malta in 1992. The boat was then used for patrols around Maltese territorial waters to secure the Maltese coast against smuggling and for border control operations, during which it was involved in several rescue missions of immigrants.

In 2009, she was scuttled off Comino and today she lies on the west coast of the island, between Lantern Point and Cominotto, adjacent to what is known as Alex’s Cave. At 52 metres in length, the P31 lies perfectly upright on a sandy bottom at a maximum depth of just 20 metres under the bow and 18 metres at the stern, while the top part is just 7 metres deep from the surface.

What to look out for

A fantastic dive for all levels, the P31 is great for training, particularly for beginners, however, the patrol boat is interesting even for the more experienced divers. Easy to penetrate, with many areas left open, you can swim right through the P31 from stern to bow, while you can also explore the engine room, although you’ll find that it contains quite a bit of sand.

Marine life on and around the wreck also abounds. Here you’ll find a variety of the peculiar and colourful nudibranch, morey eels and scorpionfish, while a thorough look over the sandy seabed may reveal stingrays, an octopus or two. Nearby, you’ll also find Posidonia seagrass beds. Due to the wreck’s shallow depth, the light that penetrates the sea casts beautiful colourful shadows, so snapping some photos here while freediving is highly recommended.

What to look out for

Woman pushes freediver off bow

How to dive this site

The dive site can be reached either by a boat or by SUP boards. If you opt to head to the P31 via SUP boards, be careful of boat traffic, particularly during the summer season. Alternatively, if you have arranged for a boat to take you right to the dive site, this will anchor close to the wreck and a shot line is dropped from the dive platform to help freedivers descent and ascent.

You may begin exploring the shallower part of the wreck and dive around the bow and stern, then the mid-section and lastly, the engine room.

Freediving the P31 is usually followed by a trip to the Santa Maria Caves.

How to dive this site

A freediver grabs another freedivers arm on the bow of a ship

About Comino

One of the smallest islands on the Maltese archipelago and the least densely populated, at just 3.5 square kilometres, the island of Comino is a bird sanctuary and nature reserve, which took its name from the cumin seed that once flourished here. Featuring mostly rocky wilderness, largely underdeveloped, with jagged cliffs, two small sandy beaches and coves, Comino is most well-known for the Blue Lagoon and its turquoise pristine water, however, there is so much more to do.

Hike along the rugged countryside which becomes thick with wild herbs and flowers during the springtime or hit the water with a kayak to explore the coastline. If swimming is still your main thing, Blue Lagoon is not the only beach available. On the northside of Comino you’ll find Santa Marja Bay, a beautiful and peaceful beach, while close by, there’s San Niklaw Bay.

About Comino

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