Hephaestus

Hephaestus is an oil tanker wreck located in Xatt l-Ahmar, a popular diving spot on the southeast coast of Gozo. The Togo-registered vessel, measuring approximately 60 m in length and 8 m in beam, was scuttled on 29th August 2022 as an underwater attraction for experienced divers. The ship was originally wrecked at Qawra Point on 10th February 2018 when it started dragging anchor in a heavy storm and ran into the rocks. Fortunately, the tanker was not carrying any cargo at the time and the crew of seven was unharmed.

After necessary temporary repairs, Hephaestus was pulled off the rocks by two tugboats and towed to Marsa shipyard on 15th August 2018. However, the severe damage to the ship made it too costly to repair. As a result, it was decided to scuttle the ship as a diving wreck. Hephaestus now lies at a maximum depth of 42 m, joining the ranks of three other popular diving wrecks in Xatt l-Ahmar: Karwela, Cominoland, and Xlendi.