Name of Site: Zona fil-Bahar fl-Inhawi tad-Dwejra (Ghawdex)
Site Code: MT0000103
Year of designation: 2012
Area [ha]: 228.61
Annex 1 Protected Habitats:
- 1120 Posidonia beds (Posidonion oceanicae)
- 1170 Reefs
- 8330 Submerged or partially submerged sea caves
Importance:
The Dwejra coastal area in Gozo is considered as an area of international scientific importance in view of a complex of features of interest known from here, including geological, geomorphological, ecological, archaeological, historical and aesthetic aspects. Considering Posidonia meadows, there is an extensive, though non-continuous, bed within the area of ‘Il-Bajja tad-Dwejra’ (Dwejra Bay) where the seagrass strands are dense and healthy. Rocky reefs are present throughout the area and may either be reefs that rise vertically from a sandy bottom littered with large boulders to join submarine bedrock platforms or submarine continuations of emergent cliffs. Associations with Flabellia petiolata and Peyssonnelia squamaria cover most reef areas. A total of five fully submerged caves and six semi-submerged caves are present in the area.
