Projects
It is owned by Bezzina Shipyards & is currently laying listing on its side, part underwater & part above water near the Marsa power station. It is not easily visible from the shore and one need to go by boat to view this vessel.
Project costs estimation:-
Acquiring this dredger, raising it to the surface, rendering this vessel to be both environmentally & diver friendly & also towing it to a destination not too far from Grand Harbour will cost a flat sum of Lm1000. Bezzina Shipyard will take care of all these tasks.
There would be other costs incurred such as:-
Mepa application costs.
Architect Costs.
Impact Assessment costs.
Project implementation costs.
Placing of mooring anchorage concrete blocks & removing these mooring blocks, which are only needed to place the vessel at the precise site on the seabed where the wreck is intended to be. This would be done exactly as how the Imperial Eagle was sunk. The Imperial Eagle is only 4 meters off its intended mark.
Other costs incurred after the Baliena becomes an instant underwater attraction would be the periodical Wreck Risk Diving Assessments. This would be done to inform any visiting divers, new to this site, what to expect from the wreck.
The proposed site to place this dredger to become an underwater diving attraction is just off the shore close to the Exiles Water polo pitch in St Julians Bay.
The proposed site is also the closest one to Grand Harbour thus minimizing transport logistics. A car park and kitting up area is also available on site making shore easy for the visiting divers as entry is within easy walking distance.
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The Malta Marine Foundation which will manage this wreck will place a mooring buoy tied to the wreck itself , similar to the buoys already found near the wreck of Imperial Eagle. This will attract dive centres in the area to take divers out to this wreck by boat and thus would not need to take up any car parking space.
This mooring point would also be ideal to dive the wreck when surge is affecting the shore making entries and exits somewhat tricky.
This dive site is composed of small to medium size boulder shoals descending gently from the shore to a depth of approximately 18 meters where the rock bottom ends abruptly and bare sand take over. The boulder shoals extents out for approximately 60 meters from the shoreline. The dredger will be placed about no more than 10 meters out on the bare sand from the edge of the boulder shoals, at a depth of about 18 meters. This will leave at least 10 meters clearance from top part of the wreck & the surface.
The Baliena wreck placing project would be an added underwater attraction in a site which has nothing much more to offer to divers.
The wreck would be situated a long way off the track where the Alcatel cable now lies & also at considerable distance from the wreck of the WW2 plane which is also found in the area.
This project would not interfere with other activities in the area such as with Water polo, bathing or with sea traffic in and out of the bay as divers would be surfacing close to the shore & within the safety zone offered to swimmers from powered boats.
The Baliena will be a welcome attraction to the Sliema St. Julians Dive centres and increased diving activity in the area is also beneficial to the local commercial outlets.
