News
Diving with… Calypso Diving Centre, Gozo, Malta
In this ongoing series, we speak with the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
What is your name?
George Vella
What is the name of your business?
Calypso Diving Centre
What is your role within the business?
Owner
How long has the business operated for?
Since 1985
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
Since 1984 and hold PADI OWSI & BSAC Advanced Instructor
What is your favorite type of diving?
Wall dives and caves / caverns
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
Nothing replaces experience!
What is your favorite dive in your location and why?
Wied il-Mielah: because even in the peak season, there are hardly any other divers there and the formation of the caves, light reflections and the school of barracuda make it an awesome dive.
What types of diving are available in your location?
We offer both shore and boat diving and the dive sites are never more than a 15 minute bus / boat ride away. We have reefs, caverns, caves, drop offs, visibility in excess of 35 metres, almost no currents and no tides. Many of our dive sites are suitable for beginners and experienced divers alike; they are equally beautiful whether in shallow or deep water.
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
Seeing a high percentage of our clients coming back to us; even though there is a lot more competition nowadays and we are not the cheapest when it comes to prices.
What is your favorite underwater creature?
Octopus
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
Nothing specific. We just keep trying to make our clients feel welcome and at home, whilst improving our facilities all the time.
As a center what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?
Price dumping from the new operators on the scene to try and take clients away from you. It is a big issue here, especially when it is a very seasonal operation.
Is your center involved in any environmental work?
We try to make all our dives a clean-up dive every time and involve our clients in it as well by providing them with net bags to collect any rubbish, especially plastic from underwater. Unfortunately a lot of education is still needed in this area.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?
It is a growing industry and you can see this by the amount of new operators getting on the bandwagon every year. Marine protected areas are a must here and need to be enforced to sustain our industry and also the fishing industry.
What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
Our island of Gozo is a gem of an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea which boasts some of the most spectacular diving in this region and is no more than a three and a half hour flight away from most European countries.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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