Um El Faroud is undoubtedly the best wreck that we dive here in Malta that is accessible from shore. It is a former Libyan oil tanker that has now been sunk off the south coast of Malta at a site called Zurrieq. The wreck lies parallel with the shore around 200 metres from our entry point and sits in the sand at a maximum of 34 metres and its shallowest point being 16 metres on top of the funnels.
This wreck has quite a history behind it. It was brought to Malta in order to be recommissioned, dry docked in Valletta Grand Harbour in 1995. During works being carried out on the wreck, there was unfortunately an explosion that occurred and killed 9 people. It is one of the worst disasters to have hit Malta in peacetimes. Due to the explosion, the ship was deemed too damaged to repair and after 3 years sat in the dry docks it was decided to scuttle. In 1998, the ship went down as one piece outside Zurrieq valley and has since broken into two pieces due to a heavy storm.
As the wreck is an old oil tanker, the length of her is 110 metres and width of 15 metres, making it a great dive site to explore. The stern is the first point of contact when reaching the wreck, with the propeller and rudder still intact. The engine room sits in the back half, which has three levels to enter inside. It is more recommended for advanced divers and up as the wreck has a lot of sediment and narrow passages which can be dangerous for someone without the right level.
Due to its distance from shore and its length, we usually dive this wreck using our SUEX DPVs and nitrox to allow us to stay deeper longer and safer. The DPVs give us the convenience of travelling the entirety of the wreck without consuming too much gas. We can use it for a means of travel to get us quicker and allow us more time to explore the ins and outs.