ST. MICHAEL AND TUG 10, Zonqor, Wied il-Ghajn (Sur)

St. Michael and Tug 10 at Zonqor near Wied il-Ghajn is a popular double wreck dive off Malta's southeastern coast, where two deliberately scuttled vessels create an accessible artificial reef complex at a maximum depth of twenty-two meters. The pairing of a substantial dredging barge with a compact harbor tugboat provides advanced divers with contrasting wreck experiences in a single dive, each vessel offering its own character, marine community, and exploration opportunities. The dive site sits in the relatively sheltered waters south of Marsaskala, accessible by boat from several eastern coast dive centers. The descent reveals the larger St. Michael first, her broad hull and deck equipment visible from distance in Malta's characteristic clear water. The barge rests on the sandy seabed, her open working deck creating a spacious exploration area where dredging machinery and deck fixtures provide structural complexity. Every surface has been colonized by marine life — sponges, algae, and encrusting organisms are transforming the industrial vessel into a living reef, while schools of fish hover above the deck in dense, active aggregations. Swimming from the St. Michael across a short stretch of sandy seabed brings you to Tug 10, whose classic tugboat proportions create an immediately appealing wreck profile. The tug sits upright, her wheelhouse and smokestack clearly defined against the blue water, and her compact size makes thorough exploration possible in the time remaining after visiting the larger wreck. The interior spaces are intimate — the bridge reveals the working environment of a small harbor vessel, and the engine spaces contain machinery that speaks to the tug's working life. The marine ecosystem spanning both wrecks is remarkably productive. Fish move freely between the two artificial reefs, and the sandy corridor connecting them supports its own community of flatfish, rays, and foraging invertebrates. Groupers have established territories around both wrecks, and octopuses exploit the countless hiding places that the hull structures provide. The moderate depth allows extended bottom time, enabling divers to explore both wrecks thoroughly and document the ongoing marine colonization. This double wreck site offers genuine value for advanced divers — the contrast between the two vessels, the variety of marine encounters, and the moderate depth create a dive that delivers substantial content without demanding extreme skills. It represents Malta's eastern coast diving at its best, proving that world-class wreck experiences are available on every shore of this remarkable diving island.