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Heritage alert! Kayaking group warns of erosion threatening St. Paul’s Islands and statue
The recent 'grigalata' has aggravated the situation

Francesca Vella

The kayaking group Get Out and Kayak, known for organising public kayak trips around the Maltese Islands, has raised concerns about the rapid erosion taking place at St Paul’s Islands.

With the islands totally exposed to the open seas on the eastern side of the island, every ‘grigalata’ (gale from the northeast) brings immensely powerful waves that eat away at the exposed rocks. In the case of St Paul’s Islands, entirely exposed to the elements, the erosion seems to be significant, to the point that the kayaking group has raised serious concerns about the danger the statue of St Paul is in, with the base of the statue becoming increasingly unstable.

The statue, built back in 1844, was sculpted by Segismondo Dimech and Salvatore Dimech. It was officially inaugurated and blessed on 21 September 1845, and since then has been restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa a number of times, first in 1996, then in 2007, in 2014, and 2015.

Get Out and Kayak said, ‘If we don’t act now, this iconic landmark – a symbol of history, faith and tradition – could be gone forever’, sharing a drone shot of the statue that shows the erosion taking place at the base.

They are urging both the public and authorities to raise awareness of the situation and advocate for measures to protect the statue, including potentially relocating it to prevent further harm.

Have you ever spotted the statue while swimming in St Paul's Bay?

21st January 2025


Francesca Vella
Written by
Francesca Vella
Francesca has always felt most at home in a cinema or theatre, particularly if musicals are involved. She loves to read, write, and share about her experiences of both the fictional and the real world.

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