Middle Finger

Middle Finger, or Ras il-Hobz, is a pinnacle off the south coast of Gozo, on the headland that faces mainland Malta. The road goes through farmers' fields from the village of Għajnsielem to the rocky headland. There are two shore entry and exit points, one on each side of the headland, and both are an equal distance from the reef. You can choose by wind direction and dive plan, and if there is a small current, let it push you back to the exit.

It takes about 10 minutes to swim from either side to the pinnacle, which rises from deep water, over 40 metres, to about 10 metres below the surface. It sits close to the drop-off that lines the shore, and walls, steep drop-offs and rocky crevices surround it. Depths run from 12 to 40 metres, and the site suits easy to intermediate divers. Buoyancy control matters because of the depth all around the pinnacle.

The pinnacle is full of life, with nudibranchs, peacock worms swaying in the light current, moray eels in the crevices and slipper lobsters. Octopus and lobsters also live here. As you ascend around the pinnacle, look into the blue for large shoals of damselfish and baitfish, which attract grouper, dentex, barracuda, amberjack and blue runner jacks.