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Welcome
to the beautiful Mediterranean Islands of
MALTA
with breathtaking coastlines
and clear calm waters. Here you can explore the colour, vision
and life of the undersea world and let your senses absorb
memories that will last a lifetime.
Scuba
Diving
in Malta is considered the best diving in the Mediterranean. The Maltese islands are blessed with warm
temperatures, even in winter, clear, unpolluted seas, with
visibility underwater in excess of thirty metres. Hundreds of kilometres of coastline, many of which are still unexplored,
make the Maltese archipelago a favourite with adventurous
divers.
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MV Imperial Eagle & Kristu
l-Bahhar
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MV IMPERIAL EAGLE -
HISTORY
New Royal
Lady (1935-46)
New Royal Lady was launched in 1938 to replace the Royal
Lady. Built by the same builders of the Royal Lady, Thomas
Crown & Sons, Sunderland, but was larger and faster. Like
her predecessor Royal Lady, her forward funnel was a dummy.
She was used for morning, afternoon and evening trips from
Scarborough, and her higher speed of 14 knots also allowed
occasional longer cruises to Bridlington and Whitby. Her
funnels were yellow, with rather gaudy red, white and blue
bands.

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Crested
Eagle (2) (1947-1957)
New Royal Lady
only had two seasons at
Scarborough before the start of the
Second World War, and she was requisitioned by the Royal
Navy in 1940 for transport duties. She was purchased by the
MOWT in 1942, managed by Fraser & Wright. In 1944 she was
attached to the US Navy.
New Royal Lady
was resold to her owners in 1946, who sold her the following
year to John Hall of Kirkaldy, for service on the Firth of
Forth. Later the same year she passed to the General Steam
Navigation Co as the Crested Eagle (2), for cruises on the
Thames from London to Gravesend and Southend, plus PLA Docks
cruises. From 1952 she was taken off the PLA cruises and
based in Ramsgate for local trips. In 1956, Crested Eagle
(2) became a regular service vessel, running from Gravesend
to to Southend and Clacton daily except Mondays. P.& A.
Campbell chartered Crested Eagle (2) in 1957 for services on
the South Coast. She ran short trips from Eastbourne to
Hastings, except Fridays when she ran from Brighton to
Shanklin.
Imperial Eagle (1957-1995)
Crested Eagle (2)
was bought by E Zammit & Co
Malta
and renamed
Imperial Eagle.
It made its first voyage between Malta & Gozo on 1st
June 1958. It had accommodation for 70 passengers and room
for 10 cars. It remained on the Mgarr to Marfa route until
March 1968. After 1968 she was used to transport cargo and
animals from Gozo to Valletta. In Malta she was owned
by Sunny & Maria Pisani a family from Gozo.
The
MV Imperial Eagle was sold to
the local Diving community on 28th November 1995
to be scuttled as an attraction for divers
off Qawra point, and to form the main attraction for an
Underwater Marine Park Project.
It was scuttled on the 19th July 1999 in 40 metres of
water, half a kilometre off Qawra Point.
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PHOTO
DINJA OHRA 4
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PHOTO DINJA OHRA 4
PHOTO DINJA OHRA 4
PHOTO DINJA OHRA 4
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Kristu l-Bahhar

STATUE
OF CHRIST SEEING THE DAYLIGHT AFTER TEN YEARS WAS MOVED TO THE
FIRST MARINE CONSERVATION PARK OFF QAWRA POINT. |
The 13-ton statue of fibre glass covered concrete, was designed by
the well-known sculptor Alfred Camilleri Cauchi. It had
cost over Lm1000 and was commissioned by a committee of divers
led by Mr. Raniero Borg purposely set up to commemorate Pope
John Paul II visit to Malta where it was lowered onto the
seabed close to St. Paul's Islands.
Ten years after it was lifted out of the water and once again
lowered out at sea, this time off Qawra Point. The new resting
place is a marine conservation area where the MV Imperial Eagle, a former Malta-Gozo ferry, was scuttled in
July
1999.
Extract from Times of
Malta Article by George Cini
Christ Underwater Photos by -
Sharon E. Metson
Imperial Eagle
Postcards -
www.simplonpc.co.uk
Imperial
Eagle Photos from Dinja Ohra 4
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