Statue of Christ

The Statue of Christ, also known as Kristu tal-Bahhara (Christ of the Sailors), is an underwater statue of Jesus Christ located about half a kilometre off Qawra Point in north-eastern Malta. The 3-metre-tall statue, made of concrete and fibreglass, was originally scuttled in 1990 near St. Paul’s Island and was moved in 2000 next to the MV Imperial Eagle wreck close to Qawra Reef at a depth of 35 m. The statue stands on white sand in a natural amphitheatre of rock, with Christ's face turned up towards the surface and his arms outstretched. An underwater valley leads from the statue to the bow of Imperial Eagle about 30 m away. This dive site is recommended for experienced divers due to its depth.

The statue was created by Maltese sculptor Alfred Camilleri Cauchi to commemorate Pope John Paul II’s first visit to Malta in 1990 and was blessed by the Pope himself. It was relocated in 2000 due to deteriorating visibility and declining number of divers. The statue is now located in an underwater marine park near the wreck of Imperial Eagle. For its 25th anniversary in 2015, the statue was professionally cleaned and re-blessed by the archbishop of Malta. The dive site also features a natural rock arch in the reef wall and a large anchor dating back to the 1600s.