Lantern point is one of Comino’s best and most popular dives. It is a dive that can be enjoyed by divers of all levels. It has a gently sloping shallow plateau and a spectacular chimney, all within reach of first level divers. For more experienced divers, a drop off leads to a system of intriguing underwater passages forming caverns and tunnels through large boulders. The underwater scenery at Lantern point is fantastic and the photo opportunities are unlimited.
Lantern Point is a narrow hard-rock headland at the south west tip of Comino. Access to Lantern point is by boat, a 10 minute boat ride from Mgarr harbour or half an hour from Xlendi Bay. Our dive boat Divmania anchors comfortably on the large shallow plateau. This dive is often chosen as one of the dives for full day trips including 2 dives around Comino with a stop for lunch in the Blue lagoon or other quaint bay around the island.
Our purpose built dive boat Divmania drops anchor at about seven metres on the plateau close to the chimney exit. A shot line or drift line is dropped. This large gentle slope is an excellent place to start and end the dive. Divers start the dive down the shot line close to Comino’s south rock wall before proceeding west towards the drop off passing close to the chimney exit.
Open Water and first level divers can follow the drop-off edge to a depth of eighteen metres as it slopes gently southward, dividing their attention between the marine life and colourful anemones in between large patches of Posidonia oceanica on the reef and larger fish like Tuna and Dentex hunting in the blue. They then make their way towards the chimney entrance at sixteen metres beneath the reef. This chimney is spectacular and is the highlight of the dive, home to some Purple Heart urchins (Spatangus purpureus), White-tufted worms (Protula tubularia) and numerous Fireworms (Hermodice carunculata). The chimney is wide enough for divers to manoeuvre without touching the sides. Divers proceed over the tunnel’s gravel floor when suddenly the stunning view of the chimney exit appears right above them. They slowly climb out of the chimney to start their safety stop on the reef.
For more experienced divers, the highlight of the Lantern Point dive is the system of tunnels and caverns between twenty-five and thirty metres formed beneath a number of large boulders close to the chimney. Here they can witness the classic stunning scene of colourful sponges, corallites and anemones on the rock faces with the deep Mediterranean blue beyond. Before diving through this system of tunnels, divers may choose to drop off to the left or right of them and explore the many boulders on the steep slope that drops beyond forty metres. Spiny starfish (Marthasterias glacialis) are common here while Moray eels and Groupers can also be seen sometimes.
Divers then ascend slowly and pass beneath a couple of overhangs and through the spectacular Lantern point chimney before spending the last minutes of the dive safety stopping on the shallows beneath the boat looking for nudibranchs or octopus camouflaged on the reef.
Lantern point is also a great place to snorkel since the shallow plateau starts from a depth of only two metres on the south Comino wall.
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