Water Safety in Gozo

Call 112 for anybody missing or in immediate danger

Call for a struggling or missing swimmer, suspected drowning, serious injury, a person trapped on rocks, a vessel in distress or anybody being swept offshore. Give the beach or bay, nearest landmark, number of people and the direction in which the person is moving.

Call 112

If somebody is struggling in the water

Your first priority is to summon trained help without becoming another casualty. Keep watching and pointing towards the person so rescuers can locate them quickly.

Step one

Call and attract attention

Call 112 immediately. Shout for a lifeguard or nearby boat and ask one specific person to meet rescuers or guide them to the scene.

Step two

Reach or throw

From a secure position, extend a pole, rope or branch, or throw a life ring or buoyant object. Do not enter dangerous water unless you are trained and properly equipped.

Step three

Keep the person in sight

Note clothing, distance from shore and direction of movement. Continue pointing towards the last known position, even if the person disappears from view.

If you are caught in a current

Float, signal and conserve energy

Do not exhaust yourself fighting directly against the flow. Float if possible, control your breathing, raise an arm and call for help. If you can swim safely, move across or parallel to the current until free, then angle towards a safe exit.

Before entering

Check the wind, waves and local forecast.
Follow lifeguard instructions, warning signs and beach flags where provided.
Ask locally about currents, boat traffic and safe exit points.
Swim with another person and tell somebody where you are going.
Choose a distance that leaves enough energy for the return.

Avoid entering when

Waves are breaking heavily across rocks or steps.
The planned exit is slippery, exposed or difficult to reach.
You are affected by alcohol, sedating medicine, illness or exhaustion.
You cannot identify a safe way out of the water.
Official warnings or local advice say conditions are unsafe.

Check Conditions Before Choosing A Beach

A beach that was comfortable yesterday may be unsuitable today. Check the safety flags, bathing water notices, jellyfish sightings and wind before leaving, then reassess the sea when you arrive.

Understand The Swimming Safety Flags

Daily safety flags describe conditions at a managed beach. They are different from the Blue Flag award, which recognises environmental quality, facilities and beach management. A Blue Flag beach can still display a red safety flag when conditions are dangerous.

Green: Calm conditions. Continue to watch the sea and follow the lifeguard.

Yellow: Medium hazard. Take extra care and weaker swimmers should stay close to shore.

Purple: Marine pests such as stinging jellyfish may be present.

Red: High hazard. Do not enter unless the lifeguard confirms that a limited activity is permitted.

Double red: The water is closed to the public. Do not enter.

Red over yellow: Marks the lifesaving boundary of the supervised swimming area.

Check Bathing Water Quality

Malta's Environmental Health Directorate publishes weekly bathing water reports during the official season. Zone D covers Gozo and Comino. Results describe microbiological quality at sampled sites, but they do not replace a current closure or warning.

Check the latest weekly report and any short term pollution notice.
Avoid water with sewage, unusual foam, discolouration, a strong odour or dead fish.
Follow signs and official advice even when a site usually has an excellent classification.

View official bathing water reports Check pollution notices

Check Jellyfish Sightings

The University of Malta's Spot the Jellyfish project maps public sightings around the Maltese Islands. It can help you compare bays, but reports are observations rather than a guarantee that a beach is clear.

Check the map shortly before travelling.
Look for the purple flag and ask the lifeguard when you arrive.
Remember that wind and currents can move jellyfish quickly.

View current jellyfish sightings About the University project

Check Wind Direction And Strength

Wind direction is the direction the wind comes from. Because Gozo's bays face different directions, the forecast can help you choose a more sheltered coast, although cliffs, swell and local conditions can change the result.

Onshore wind can create chop, waves and difficult exits.
Offshore wind can carry inflatables, boards, kayaks and tired swimmers away from land.
Check wind speed, gusts and warnings, then confirm conditions at the beach.

Check the official Malta weather forecast

Important: A missing flag does not mean the water is safe. Not every swimming place is supervised. Follow the flag legend displayed at the beach, lifeguard instructions and any closure notice. If a jellyfish sting causes breathing difficulty, collapse or a severe reaction, call 112.

Rocky shores, caves and remote swimming places

Plan the exit before the entry

Gozo has beautiful rocky entries, but a small increase in swell can make the same steps or ledge difficult to use. Confirm more than one exit where possible and keep footwear, telephone and essential belongings above the reach of waves.

Watch the water for several minutes before entering.
Keep away from wet, algae covered or undercut rock.
Never turn your back on breaking waves.
Do not jump until depth and underwater hazards are known.

Do not explore sea caves casually

Conditions inside a cave can differ from the open bay. Swell may push a swimmer against rock and light or communication can be lost quickly. Use a suitably qualified local guide for cave swimming, snorkelling or diving.

Do not enter alone.
Do not rely on an inflatable toy as safety equipment.
Leave before changing light or weather reduces visibility.

After somebody is removed from the water

A person may still require urgent assessment after water inhalation, even when they are awake and talking.

Immediate action

Call 112 and follow the operator’s instructions.
Check responsiveness and normal breathing.
Begin appropriate resuscitation if the person is not breathing normally and you are trained.
Use an available defibrillator if instructed and if it is safe to do so.
Keep the person warm and remain with them until help arrives.

Warning signs after inhaling water

Persistent coughing or breathing difficulty.
Chest discomfort, confusion or unusual tiredness.
Blue or unusually pale lips and skin.
Vomiting, collapse or reduced responsiveness.

Do not assume recovery is complete simply because the person says they feel better.

Children and vulnerable swimmers

Give children continuous close supervision around any water, including shallow edges and pools.
Choose a responsible adult who is not distracted by a telephone, reading or alcohol.
Use a correctly fitted life jacket for boating and where conditions require it.
Inflatable toys and arm bands do not replace supervision or approved buoyancy equipment.
Use a swimming companion and suitable precautions for epilepsy, heart conditions or other illnesses that increase risk.

Diving, snorkelling and small craft

Diving and snorkelling

Use a licensed diving operator and remain within your qualification and experience.
Never dive or snorkel alone.
Check entry, exit, current, visibility and boat traffic before starting.
Call 112 for suspected decompression illness or another diving emergency.
Do not return to the water or fly after symptoms develop unless a diving doctor advises it.

Kayaks, boards and boats

Wear an appropriate life jacket and carry a reliable means of communication.
Check wind direction and sea conditions before departure.
Tell somebody your route and expected return time.
Keep outside marked swimmer zones and use designated launching lanes.
Equipped vessels should monitor VHF Channel 16 for distress and safety communication.

Official contacts and guidance

Emergency services

For water rescue, missing swimmers, serious injury and immediate danger.