Underwater Malta - virtual museum available from today! - video

On Tuesday, 30th June, an extremely interesting and very carefully prepared project entitled The Virtual Museum – Underwater Malta will have its premiere. For all those interested in diving in Malta and the wrecks lying in the waters surrounding the island, this is a unique opportunity to learn about the underwater attractions and the historical and cultural heritage of this country.

Welcome to the virtual museum

Underwater archaeological sites are very often beyond the sight of most people, and often beyond the limits of most divers. The reason for this situation is simple – the great depth of individual wrecks. Until now only divers, often very experienced and specialised in deep exploration, have had the chance to admire Malta’s underwater attractions. Now, thanks to the realisation of the virtual wreck museum project, all lovers of history and the underwater world will have such an opportunity.

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Project

The technological advances of recent years have created this amazing opportunity for anyone wishing to start exploring and discovering the underwater world, without having to go underwater. The use of powerful cameras and special underwater lights has made it possible to capture Malta’s underwater cultural heritage in such a way as to make it accessible to all, as well as providing an opportunity to learn about the island’s history. The creation of this digital record contributes to the continuing effort to preserve and protect Malta’s submerged cultural heritage for future generations.

3D models

All of the 3D models featured in the museum were created using a process called photogrammetry. Digital 3D models are created from a set of overlapping photographs, which are then used as the basis for various visualisations. Depending on the size and complexity of the wreck and the visibility underwater, hundreds if not thousands of photographs are required to produce an accurate image.

The photographs used to create the models were taken by divers, and the wrecks vary in depth and size. From the shallow depths and relatively small size of Victorian cannons, to the extreme depths of a Phoenician wreck and a huge WWII submarine. For deeper and larger wrecks such as the Schnellboot or those in a low visibility area such as the X127 Lighter, multiple dives were required to acquire enough images in satisfactory quality to then create a 3D model.

Wrecks

Among the model wrecks currently available on the site are the B24 Liberator and JU88 aircraft, an ancient Phoenician shipwreck, HMS Stubborn, Victorian guns, Xlighter 127, Beaufighter, Schnellboot S-31, Fairey Swordfish and HMS Maori.

The Virtual Underwater Museum of Malta can be found here.

^{Source: The Virtual Museum – Underwater Malta}