Anchor Bay

Anchor Bay is a shore dive located at Popeye's Village in Mellieħa, on the northwest coast of Malta. The site features a rocky reef with large boulders, swim-throughs, seagrass beds, a large 3-metre anchor sitting at around 8 metres depth, and the notable Scorpion Cave. The maximum depth reaches 12 metres, with the shallowest point at 3 metres, making it a sheltered and manageable dive beneath the cliffs of Popeye Village.

The reef holds a range of Mediterranean marine life including sea bream, groupers, moray eels, barracuda, wrasses, scorpionfish, parrotfish, octopuses, shrimp, cardinalfish, sea cucumbers, and brittle stars. The cave section introduces darker conditions, so divers should be prepared for limited light inside.

As a sheltered shore entry with a shallow, varied reef, Anchor Bay is well suited to less experienced divers and makes a good refresher or first dive of a trip. Boat traffic is a hazard to be aware of at the surface, and darkness inside the cavern requires appropriate preparation.