Fairey Swordfish

The Fairey Swordfish is a World War II airplane wreck dive site located approximately 5 km off the Sliema coast in northeast Malta. This British single-engine biplane torpedo bomber, measuring about 11 m in length and 14 m in wingspan, was ditched in the sea in 1943 due to engine problems shortly after take-off from Hal Far airfield. The wreck lies at a depth of around 70 m on a sandy seabed, with its metal frame structure largely intact. The wings and tail are visible, though the covering fabric has deteriorated, and the plane's radial engine still has its three-bladed propeller attached. This dive site is managed by Heritage Malta and requires a special permit for diving.

The Fairey Swordfish wreck was discovered in June 2017 and opened to divers on 1st May 2019. It is a boat dive suitable for technical divers due to its depth. For those interested in airplane wrecks, there are several other dive sites in Malta at shallower depths, including the Bristol Beaufighter, Bristol Blenheim Bomber, Mosquito Fighter Bomber, and Lockheed P2V Neptune, which range between 30 and 42 m deep. Other technical airplane wreck dives include the Junkers Ju 88 and B-24 Liberator Bomber at 55 m depth, Douglas A-1 Skyraider at 96 m, and another Junkers Ju 88 at 106 m depth. For freedivers, the Dornier Wal XI flying boat wreck is available at a depth of 12 m in Gnejna Bay.