Notices to Mariners issued in Govt. Gazette 21,486 of 12th August 2025

The Ports and Yachting Directorate, Transport Malta, would like to bring to the attention of all mariners of the danger of falling rocks in sea caves, from sea arches and sea stacks and from cliff faces. This is due to the geological structure of the Maltese Islands and land erosion which is caused by the combined effects of sea waves, strong wind, and precipitation.

The following areas (shown on the charts found n Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)) are restricted to both vessels and swimmers and should be avoided:

Il-Ponta ta' Dellimara ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 1 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

Latitude (N)Longitude (E)

A                     35° 49'.430     014° 33'.381

B                     35° 49'.165     014° 33'.539

Blue Grotto limits of Wied iż-Żurrieq ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 2 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 49'.272     014° 27'.415

B                     35° 49'.307     014° 27'.455

Il-Veċċja – Il-Bajja ta' San Pawl ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 3 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 56'.833     014° 23'.492

B                     35° 56'.858     014° 23'.495

Qala tal-Għażżelin – Il-Bajja ta' San Pawl ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 4 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 56'.967     014° 24'.121

B                     35° 56'.964     014° 24'.129

Il-Ponta taż-Żonqor – Il-Bajja ta' Marsaskala ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 5 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 52'.001     014° 34'.291

B                     35° 52'.004     014° 34'.334

C                     35° 52'.017     014° 34'.368

Dawret ix-Xatt – Xgħajra ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 6 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 53'.129     014° 33'.148

B                     35° 53'.121     014° 33'.152

C                     35° 53'.113     014° 33'.158

Il-Munxar, Marsaskala ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 7 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 50'.970     014° 34'.300

B                     35° 50'.677     014° 34'.067

Il-Bajja tal-Gnejna ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 8 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 55'.325     014° 20'.643

B                     35° 55'.310     014° 20'.644

Tignè ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 9 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 54'.507     014° 30'.720

B                     35° 54'.493     014° 30'.732

Xrobb l-Għaġin Il-Ħofriet ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C and the intermediate coastline and the imaginary line D to E to F and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 10 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 50'.313     014° 33'.722

B                     35° 50'.267     014° 33'.766

C                     35° 50'.248     014° 33'.831

D                     35° 50'.344     014° 33'.761

E                      35° 50'.323     014° 33'.824

F                      35° 50'.298     014° 33'.843

Il-Bajja ta' San Tumas ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C to D and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 11 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 51'.320     014° 34'.041

B                     35° 51'.340     014° 34'.113

C                     35° 51'.420     014° 34'.142

D                     35° 51'.426     014° 34'.231

Il-Għar Ghana ‒ Kemmuna ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 12 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     36° 01'.106     014° 19'.469

B                     36° 01'.100     014° 19'.495

L-Imgiebaħ – Il-Bajja tal-Mellieħa ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 13 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 58'.132     014° 22'.841

B                     35° 58'.089     014° 22'.889

Għar Lapsi ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C to D and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 14 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 49'.639     014° 25'.464

B                     35° 49'.640     014° 25'.497

C                     35° 49'.615     014° 25'.523

D                     35° 49'.614     014° 25'.528

Golf l-Abjad – Ħaż-Żabbar ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 15 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 52'.891     014° 33'.450

B                     35° 52'.888     014° 33'.503

Qarraba Bay ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 16 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 55'.586     014° 20'.509

B                     35° 55'.601     014° 20'.570

C                     35° 55'.582     014° 20'.609

Fort Ricasoli ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on attached chart 17).

A                     35° 53'.887     014° 31'.617

B                     35° 53'.861     014° 31'.688

Daħla tar-Rinella ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 18 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 53'.697     014° 31'.610

B                     35° 53'.666     014° 31'.621

Rdum il-Bies ‒ Il-Bajja ta' San Pawl ‒ An area of 50m radius centred on the following approximate position (as shown on chart 19 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 57'.708     014° 23'.766

Fort Ricasoli Bastion ‒ An area of 50m radius centred on the following approximate position (as shown on chart 20 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 53'.885     014° 31'.422  

Under Ex Bighi Hospital in Id-Daħla tar-Rinella ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 21 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 53'.645     014° 31'.504

B                     35° 53'.652     014° 31'.517

C                     35° 53'.600     014° 31'.556

Between Il-Ponta tal-Aħrax and Daħlet ix-Xilep – Mellieħa ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 22 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 59'.601     014° 22'.323

B                     35° 59'.418     014° 22'.522

C                     35° 59'.405     014° 22'.506

Il-Ħofra l-Kbira ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C to D and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 23 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 50'.527     014° 33'.798

B                     35° 50'.509     014° 33'.819

C                     35° 50'.481     014° 33'.781

D                     35° 50'.506     014° 33'.753

Ir-Ramla ta' Għajn Tuffieħa ‒ The area bounded by the imaginary line A to B to C to D and the intermediate coastline (as shown on chart 24 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 55'.845     014° 20'.576

B                     35° 55'.832     014° 20'.558

C                     35° 55'.807     014° 20'.586

D                     35° 55'.802     014° 20'.617

E                      35° 55'.819     014° 20'.621

Il-Ħofra ż-Żgħira ‒ An area of 50m radius centred on the following approximate position (as shown on chart 25 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 50'.124     014° 33'.617  

Il-Ponta tal-Munxar ‒ The area formed by joining the points A, B, C, D and the intermediate coastline (as shown on the chart 26 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 50'.992     014° 33'.922

B                     35° 50'.999     014° 33'.916

C                     35° 51'.013     014° 33'.943

D                     35° 51'.005     014° 33'.950

Fomm ir-Riħ ‒ The area formed by joining the points A, B, C, D, E and the intermediate coastline (as shown on the attached chart 27).

A                     35° 54'.395     014° 20'.454

B                     35° 54'.412     014° 20'.413

C                     35° 54'.444     014° 20'.400

D                     35° 54'.478     014° 20'.404

E                      35° 54'.488     014° 20'.415

Għar id-Dud (Tas-Sliema) ‒ The area formed by joining the points A, B, C, D, and the intermediate coastline (as shown on the chart 28 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 54'.772     014° 30'.425

B                     35° 54'.772     014° 30'.475

C                     35° 54'.730     014° 30'.475

D                     35° 54'.703     014° 30'.427

Ta' Marija Caves ‒ Mġarr ‒ An area of 50m radius centred on the following approximate position (as shown on chart 29 found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt)).

A                     35° 57'.708     014° 23'.766

Mariners are informed that a rope supported by black and white buoys may be placed along all the imaginary lines mentioned above.

The Ports and Yachting Directorate, Transport Malta, notifies mariners and owners of vessels that the above list is not comprehensive as other coastal areas may be added at a later stage and because rocks and boulders may become dislodged at any time.

Mariners are to give special attention when entering any cave and shall keep at a safe distance from cliff faces all around the Maltese Islands.

This Local Notice to Mariners is to replace Local Notice to Mariners Nos 2, 92, 100 of 2024, which are hereby cancelled.

Charts affected: BA 36, 177, 194, 211A, 211B, 1537, 2538

The Ports and Yachting Directorate, Transport Malta, notifies mariners that GPS-Tracked Scientific Buoys will be deployed around the Maltese Islands throughout the Lampuki Fishing Season.

The GPS-Tracked Scientific Buoys is part of the EU Life Oasis Project, coordinated locally by Nature Trust Malta. These buoys will be attached to the Kannizzati (plastic floats) and will be monitored as part of an environmental and fisheries research.

A total of six (6) buoys are to be deployed around the islands of Malta and Gozo, from Friday, 15th August, 2025 to Wednesday, 31st December, 2025.

Masters and operators of vessels are advised to not remove or collect these mentioned buoys if found attached to the kannizzati (plastic floats).

If for some reason the buoys are found adrift or detached, mariners and operators of vessels are to contact:

Ms Antonia Scicluna (project coordinator)

Mobile: +356 7711 0199

Email: (antonia@naturetrustmalta.org)

Masters and operators of vessels are advised to keep a sharp lookout, navigate with caution and at slow speed when these GPS-Tracked Scientific Buoys are insight.

Charts affected: BA 36, 177, 194, 211, 2123, 2124, 2537, 2538

The Ports and Yachting Directorate, Transport Malta notifies Mariners that fireworks will be let off from the foreshore of Manoel Island in Sliema Creek, centred on points A, B and C as shown on the chart found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt):

Aerial fireworks will be let off from points A and B as follows:

On Monday, 18th August, 2025 from 9.00 a.m. to 9.20 a.m., from noon to 12.20 p.m., and from 7.30 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.

On Friday, 22nd August, 2025 from 9.00 a.m. to 9.20 a.m., from noon to 12.20 p.m., and from 9.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.

On Saturday, 23rd August, 2025        from 9.00 a.m. to 9.20 a.m., from noon to 12.20 p.m., from 6.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m. and from 9.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.

On Sunday, 24th August, 2025 from 9.00 a.m. to 9.20 a.m., from noon to 12.20 p.m, and from 7.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.

There will also be a display of ground fireworks on the Sliema side (point C) which will be held on Saturday, 23rd August, 2025 from 11.30 p.m. to 00.15 a.m. on Sunday morning.

In view of the above, mariners are informed that during the times and on the dates of the firework displays, as mentioned above, navigation will be prohibited within 200 meters from the above-mentioned positions, point A and point B and 60 meters from point C, in Marsamxett Harbour as shown on the chart found on Transport Malta website (www.transport.gov.mt).  All craft moored within the indicated areas, are to be removed on the above-mentioned date and times of the firework displays. 

Transport Malta will accept no liability whatsoever for any damage caused by the firework displays to any vessel and her ancillary equipment, whether such vessel and her ancillary equipment are left within the 200m safety zone, or outside such safety zone, from the point from which the fireworks are let off.

Mariners are to obey instructions and directions given on VHF channel 12 and/or 16 by Valletta VTS and any Enforcement Officials in the area.

Chart affected: BA 177