Watch: TM absent as Comino chaos transferred to small boats

The peaceful atmosphere that Maltese families once enjoyed while boating at Comino’s Blue Lagoon is now lost. Greedy businessmen have shifted the chaos that previously dominated the island’s shores to small boats, which now overcrowd the crystal blue waters.

As the government, through the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), introduced a new system to reduce overcrowding at the Blue Lagoon by limiting the number of visitors, primarily young people, to no more than 4,000 at a time, the problem shifted to the adjacent sea.

Reports verified by The Shift indicate that, rather than organising groups of tourists to visit the island, numerous small rental boats are now crowding the waters just outside the swimming zones of the lagoon. These boats play loud music and carry large numbers of tourists who spend all day drinking and dancing.

Unlike the situation that used to occur onshore, the issue now does not stem from large tour operator boats, which are typically linked to the influx of hundreds of tourists to the island each day. Instead, the problem arises from the owners of numerous small boats, either rented out to unlicensed tourists or operated by Asian boat handlers whose skills may be questionable.

These boats, packed with young visitors and stuffed with alcohol, dangerously navigate around swimmers all day long, organising dance parties and mayhem in broad daylight.

In some cases, the boats are equipped with an onboard DJ, disrupting the area’s usual tranquillity with loud music, singing and fooling around by revellers.

The complete absence of patrols and law enforcement by Transport Malta is worsening the new situation. Until last year, they regularly patrolled the area with their dinghies, but they have suddenly ceased these activities or are rarely seen. Frequent visitors have informed The Shift that while there have been improvements onshore thanks to the efforts of the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), the situation it still far from ideal. However, the patrolling of the offshore area has been entirely neglected.

“Laws are being violated constantly, and the area has turned into a chaotic scene for boats. Yet, Transport Malta enforcers are nowhere to be found. It appears that the issue has shifted to the sea,” said a veteran boater who has been visiting the area for decades.

“These days, you can’t even swim without worrying about small boats and jet skis, which are all operated without the need for a license, zooming around you all day long. I honestly don’t understand how no one has been killed yet,” said a Maltese boat owner, who was accompanied by his three-year-old son.

“The party island mentality has now been dominated by boat renters and businessmen who are loading hundreds of students and young people onto their boats. They are providing excessive amounts of alcohol to these guests without even allowing them to set foot on the shores of the Blue Lagoon to avoid tagging,” remarked another frequent visitor.

Earlier this year, following a leadership change in the Tourism Ministry, a new system was implemented to limit the number of visitors on the island. According to the MTA, this has led to a 68 per cent reduction in the number of visitors at any given time compared to last year, when the peak reached 12,000 visitors simultaneously.

The implementation and management of this system have been criticised by certain groups, with Moviment Graffiti noting that it did not work, while other NGOs reported a significant improvement.

Minister Ian Borg promised that this is just the beginning and that more improvements will be implemented next year. These improvements should include, for the first time in years, the introduction of a competitive process for kiosks and beach concessions, which have illegally proliferated over time. The Minister indicated that these will be reduced, and a proper design and management plan will be put in place in the summer of 2026.