Coral Cave Diving
Coral Cave is a large open cavern on the west coast of Gozo at Dwejra. It lies between Coral Garden and Roger's Cave and can be reached from the shore through Coral Garden. The cavern is famous for its enormous semi-circular entrance, sandy interior and walls and ceiling covered with colourful encrusting corals, sponges and other marine life.
The published position is approximately 36.0523° N, 14.1881° E. Current dive references give an average depth of around 20m+ and a maximum of about 30m+, while the diving guide photographed for this page gives a broader dive profile of 6–30m because the complete route includes the shallow Coral Garden and reef.
Getting to Coral Cave
The shore approach starts at Coral Garden, to the left of the Blue Hole. Divers walk down over the rocky terrain and enter a shallow pool-like area before swimming out through the opening in the reef.
From Coral Garden, the route heads towards the drop-off and over the mouth of Coral Cave. The guide describes the cavern entrance as beginning at about 17 metres. The large opening descends towards the seabed at approximately 28–30 metres.
Coral Cave can also be incorporated into longer Dwejra routes. Depending on conditions, divers may combine the dive with the Blue Hole, Coral Garden, Roger's Cave, the Chimney or other nearby parts of Dwejra Reef.
Inside Coral Cave
The cavern is exceptionally wide. The entrance is described as approximately 30 metres across, while the cave extends roughly 50–60 metres inward.
Large boulders lie around the entrance. Inside, the floor is mainly sand and silt and slopes upwards towards the back, reaching approximately 21 metres where it meets the ceiling.
The walls and ceiling are the reason for the cave's name. They are densely covered with colourful encrusting coral, sponges, glass-bell tunicates, yellow creeplets, orange sea fans, sand coral, gold-cup coral and virgin lace coral.
Huge Entrance
The semi-circular entrance begins around 17–18m and is approximately 30m wide at the seabed.
Coral-Covered Walls
The walls and ceiling support a remarkable variety of colourful corals, sponges and encrusting life.
Sandy Floor
Inside the cavern, the floor changes to sand and silt and slopes upwards towards the back.
Blue Exit
Looking back from inside the cave gives a spectacular view of the brilliant blue open Mediterranean.
The Coral Garden Route
Coral Garden is a shallow area used to access the open sea and is also an interesting part of the dive in its own right. The shallow reef contains channels, rocks and marine life before the route reaches the outer drop-off.
One common route crosses the mouth of Coral Cave and descends along the cavern before returning to the reef wall. Divers may then continue around Dwejra Reef and finish at Coral Garden or make their way towards the Blue Hole for the exit and safety stop.
Marine Life in Coral Cave
The cave is particularly rich in sessile marine life. The guide notes cardinalfish, marine goldfish, octopus, moray eels and many types of small reef life, while modern dive descriptions also report firework anemones, scorpionfish, wrasse, damselfish, parrotfish and amberjack around the surrounding reef.
Seahorses are also reported from Coral Cave, making a slow and careful search worthwhile. The cave's coral growth is fragile, however, and divers should maintain excellent buoyancy and avoid touching the walls or ceiling.
The Back of Coral Cave
At the rear of the cavern there is a small opening and a shaft-like feature. The guide describes a narrow hole at the back and warns divers to be particularly careful in this area.
Modern dive references strongly advise against entering the rear hole without proper cave-diving training. The confined section can become extremely silty and difficult to navigate if the bottom is disturbed. The cave has also been associated with fatal accidents in the past, so the overhead environment must be treated with appropriate respect.
Depth & Dive Profile
The guide photographed for this page gives 6–30 metres and approximately 35–55 minutes for the complete dive. Current dive-site references give Coral Cave itself an average depth of 20m+ and a maximum of approximately 30m+.
The entrance is around 17–18 metres and the cavern floor descends to approximately 28–30 metres. The rear of the cave rises again towards the ceiling at around 21 metres.
Coral Cave and the Blue Hole
Coral Cave is part of the larger Dwejra diving area and can be combined with the Blue Hole, Coral Garden and nearby reef routes. It is not the same cave as the Blue Hole: Coral Cave is a separate large cavern in the reef wall, while the Blue Hole is the famous circular rock formation and underwater chimney nearby.
Photographs
The large Coral Cave entrance at Dwejra.
Colourful coral-covered walls and ceiling inside Coral Cave.
Add an underwater Coral Cave photograph.
Suggested filename: coral-cave-3.jpg
More photographs of Coral Cave will be added as the site is documented.
Location
Coral Cave is at Dwejra on Gozo's west coast, between Coral Garden and Roger's Cave. The published position used by e-Malta is 36.0523° N, 14.1881° E.
Location & Map
The published position used by e-Malta for Coral Cave is 36.0523° N, 14.1881° E.
Coral Cave Gozo – Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Coral Cave in Gozo?
Coral Cave is at Dwejra on Gozo's west coast, between Coral Garden and Roger's Cave. Its published position is approximately 36.0523° N, 14.1881° E.
How do you reach Coral Cave?
Coral Cave is a shore dive. Divers approach through Coral Garden, enter the open sea and descend towards the large cavern entrance.
How deep is Coral Cave?
The entrance begins at approximately 17–18 metres and the cavern floor reaches about 28–30 metres. The wider dive profile including Coral Garden is approximately 6–30m.
How wide is the Coral Cave entrance?
The large semi-circular entrance is approximately 30 metres wide at the lower part and leads into a cavern extending roughly 50–60 metres.
What can you see inside Coral Cave?
The walls and ceiling are covered in colourful corals, sponges, tunicates and other encrusting organisms. Cardinalfish and marine goldfish are common, and seahorses may also be found.
Is Coral Cave suitable for beginners?
Coral Cave is generally treated as an advanced dive because of its depth and overhead environment. The guide used for this page also describes the broader 6–30m route as an easy dive, but divers should follow their actual training and experience.
Can you enter the hole at the back of Coral Cave?
The small rear hole should not be entered without proper cave-diving training and equipment. Silt can quickly reduce visibility and make the confined passage difficult to navigate.
Can Coral Cave be combined with the Blue Hole?
Yes. Coral Cave is part of the Dwejra reef system and can be included in routes involving Coral Garden, the Blue Hole and nearby reef sites, depending on conditions and the planned entry and exit.
What are the coordinates for Coral Cave?
The published coordinates used by e-Malta are 36.0523° N, 14.1881° E.
Nearby Gozo Dive Sites
Blue Hole
Gozo's famous Dwejra arch, chimney and reef dive, close to Coral Cave.
Roger's Cave
A nearby Dwejra cave and reef site connected by several possible routes.
Inland Sea
The dramatic Dwejra inland lagoon, tunnel and deep reef system.
Crocodile Rock
A nearby Dwejra reef and wall dive that can be combined with longer routes.