The Karwela may be the most photographed, recognized and requested wreck dive of them all, due to the iconic staircase found in the centre of the wreck. Found in the southern part of Gozo island, alongside 3 other wrecks in this area, Karwela is sitting at around 40 metres maximum making it a deep dive. It can be dived both recreationally on nitrox or as a technical dive to extend your bottom time further.
The wreck was originally tourist passenger ferry doing tours around the islands before being scuttled in 2006 alongside Cominoland wreck which lies slightly east of this wreck. The wreck lies perfectly upright on sand, close to the reef wall and is sitting between 30 and 40 metres deep. It is also safe to enter due to having windows along the stern, plenty of light entering and cut outs along the two first decks.
This dive is possible to access from shore with a walk down to the water from the car park and a ladder to enter. The wreck lies close enough to the reef it usually takes less than 5 minutes before seeing the wreck as long as visibility is good. For us we typically dive this wreck from our boat, allowing us to go straight down onto the wreck and not waste time on the reef. The reef wall is the perfect place to shallow up and do any safety or deco stops. Out of the 4 wrecks we find in this area of Gozo, this is the most popular to dive.