Floating party island holds commercial vessel licence, TM says

Transport Malta has confirmed that Noma Island, the floating beach club marketing itself as "Malta's fourth island", holds a commercial vessel operator licence to operate in Maltese waters.

Noma Island is a 1,750-square-metre floating recreational platform designed as a motorised trimaran-style vessel. It is structured across two large decks housing a restaurant, a bar-lounge, and a freshwater swimming pool, and can accommodate up to 350 guests arriving via private yachts or dedicated speedboat shuttles from shore.

The vessel is being marketed as Malta's "fourth island”, described as a "mystical haven where time stands still" and an exclusive venue, being one of its kind in Europe.

"The vessel has been issued a Provisional Certificate of Registry under the Malta Flag Administration and has undergone the standard process for obtaining a Commercial Vessel Operator Licence in accordance with the Commercial Vessel Regulations," a Transport Malta spokesperson told MaltaToday. "This was completed following extensive due diligence."

The authority confirmed that the vessel may operate in areas authorised for commercial vessels, subject to weather conditions. However, it stated that it may not carry passengers while underway and can only engage in static charters at anchor.

Transport Malta added that "all operations are governed by established legislation for commercial vessels, including full compliance with all applicable environmental and waste management obligations."

This is not the vessel's first attempt to establish itself in the Mediterranean. Its creators, Fijian entrepreneur Tony Philp and French co-founder Marc Audineau, planned to launch the vessel, then called Canua Island, in spring 2023 on the French Riviera.

The project stalled while moored at the port of La Seyne-sur-Mer, awaiting permits amid increasing opposition.

French environmental groups opposed a new commercial platform off the southern coast of France, citing over-urbanisation, and collected 20,000 signatures to oppose it. The regional president described the project as "devoid of common sense," while France's ecological minister voiced concerns about posidonia seagrass beds, stating that anchoring plans are "not compatible" with the marine environment.

In June 2023, the French government and maritime ministry refused to grant the required permits, citing worries about conflicts with marine environmental protection. However, a few months later, the Administrative Court of Nice ruled in favor of the founders, ordering the state to issue the operating permits. 

Although scheduled to launch in May 2024 in the Bay of Cannes, the vessel encountered additional issues. A coalition of 21 local mayors from the Alpes-Maritimes and Var departments collectively opposed its presence through a joint letter.

They raised concerns about underwater sound waves, frequent motorboat traffic ferrying customers and staff, nighttime artificial lighting, greywater recovery risks, and the potential for accidents in the already crowded summer waters.

The vessel operated for a single summer season before falling silent. In August 2025, co-founder Tony Philp confirmed to the French newspaper Le Figaro that the platform had been sold and was moving to Malta. "We were clearly not welcome here," he said. "At some point, it becomes difficult to fight; you have to find a solution, a new destination."

Citing political hostility and restrictions on marketing the vessel, the founders sold the platform, which is now set to launch in Malta.

The vessel was later seen off Corsica and Sardinia before arriving in Malta, where it was reintroduced as Noma Island.