Snappers’ Alley

On the eastern boundaries of Kakava reefs, before water depth drops significantly, there is an area where Posidonia sea grass, rocks and sandy patches alternate. This is the place where colourful wrasses, brown meagres and all kinds of breams find shelter, whilst sea turtles and eagle rays are common visitors, but without a doubt the stars are the red snappers that are foraging around this alley, preying on schools of damselfish and parrotfish. This is probably the site more likely to spot a snapper especially from May to July, as they never fail divers in early morning dives.

The average depth of the dive is 16 m, while the max is 22 m, appropriate for divers of all levels.

The usual visibility is 25 m and temperature ranges between 23-25 °C in summer months. Occasionally a weak surface current may be encountered. Boat ride duration 7′.

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Twelve Anchors

 

Located at the northern extents of the Kakava reefs, this site is the most representative example of Mediterranean seafloor landscape and biodiversity in shallow coastal waters and provides excellent chances for u/w photographers. Collapsed caves and holes, along with meadows of Posidonia sea grass create the perfect environment for parrotfish, wrasses, gilt head breams, scorpion fish, young groupers and snappers. Around the reef fragments of ancient clay jars (“amphoras”) can be spotted, however the highlight of the site are the 12 enormous, probably Byzantine era anchors, presumably ditched by a ship struggling to escape crashing on the reef.

The average depth of the dive is 7 m, while the max is 12 m, suitable for divers of all levels.

The usual visibility is 25 m and temperature ranges between 22-27 °C in summer months. Occasionally a moderate surface current may be encountered. Boat ride duration 5′.

 

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Lighthouse Reef

At the northern end of Skala beach, the rocky coastline provides an u/w landscape of walls and rockslides, which create an ideal habitat for most Mediterranean species. In this dive site, marked by the Cape Kapros lighthouse, boulders scattered among Posidonia seagrass provide a haven for all kinds of breams, wrasses, brown meagres and octopuses, especially when water temperature is below 23 °C, up to the end of June and again from early September. Huge schools of juvenile saddled sea breams and damselfish, along with often passing Loggerheard sea turtles, create scenery so rich that rarely can be matched by Mediterranean waters.

The average depth of the dive is 8 m, while the max is 17 m, appropriate for divers of all levels.

The usual visibility is 25 m and temperature ranges between 24-26 °C in summer months. Occasionally a weak surface current may be encountered. Boat ride duration 5′.

 

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Gonies Cove

The rough, rocky scenery above the surface concludes in an equally impressive wall at the tip of the cove. Divers can observe remains of an ancient, roman era wreck that stretches across the levels of the dive. Fragments of broken amphorae but also an intact one, a lead stock of a composite anchor and ballast stones mark the final resting place of the long gone vessel. The reef is abundant with most species of Mediterranean aquatic life while Loggerhead sea turtles are anything but a rare sight.

Dive starts at 9 m on top a rocky plateau that descends smoothly to the bottom of the rocky slope. The Neptune’s seagrass at the side of the open sea meets the rocky coastline at a depth of 18 m, creating the perfect habitant for dusky and white groupers, white sea breams and brown meagres. Continuing further to the wall, crevices give shelter to more groupers, morays, scorpion and cardinal fish. The way back starts where the wall ends giving space to more seagrass and is exactly where gold blotch groupers find the perfect hunting grounds, often accompanied by snappers and upon return divers explore the shallower parts of the wall, at around 12m, where morays, invasive yet impressive lionfish, tube worms, wrasses and quite often slipper lobsters and Triton’s trumpet shells can be found. Where the wall ends into a rocky plateau, divers pass through schools of dancing damselfish and continue towards the amphorae and anchor of the ancient wreck laying at a depth of 9 m and just below the safety stop spot.

The average depth or the dive is 16 m, while the max is 31 m, appropriate for divers of all levels. Boat ride duration 9′.

 

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Carinthia V wreck

On a stormy night on November 1, 1971 iconic superyacht  Carinthia V on its maiden cruise, ran aground at the Kavava Shoals just off Skala at the southwest coast of Kefalonia, and sunk roughly one  mile further. Carinthia V was owned by Austrian billionaire Helmut Horten, designed by the famous naval architect Jon Bannenberg and built by Lurssen Bremen shipyard. The origins of the boat are to the fast patrol boats the shipyard was building at the time. It is considered to be the first concept of a true superyacht, the first ever designed to the last detail by a single designer rather than a shipyard and influenced yacht designs ever since. As short lived, the glory of the most influential and most beautiful superyacht of all times belongs to its identical sibling launched on 1973, Carinthia VI. But in reality the first and most beautiful superyacht ever rests in the sea of Kefalonia.

Divers approaching the 68 m long wreck can see the sleek lines of the vessel’s hull as it lies upside down. The elegant superstructure has been crushed under the weight of the hull but much of it can be seen on the right side, with the typical “grille” of the front lounge visible. Same thing for the speedboat that was nested on the upper aft deck. The rudders of the boat and the propellers bare the signs of impact to the reef and evidence of the devastating blow that caused the sinking can be seen along the “sharp” hull. The superyacht wreck is in an excellent condition considering it spent nearly 50 years at the bottom of the sea. Towards the stem that descents at a sharp angle to the bottom, the bow thrusters are visible.

The vessel has formed an artificial reef and big fish and aquatic creatures find shelter around it making wreck diving there a great opportunity to observe large pelagic species.

The average depth or the dive is 50 m, while the max is 64, reserving the wreck for experienced technical divers. The visibility is usually greater than 25m while temperature ranges between 18-24 C in summer months, depending on depth. Occasionally there may be currents close to the surface. Boat ride duration to the dive site 10′.

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Heart of the Sea

A most impressive and vivid wall hides a surprise for divers. A wide opening from 15 to 25 m leads to an enormous underwater cave. Every surface is covered with colorful marine life such as sponges, soft and false corals, coralline algae and is inhabited by all kinds of crustaceans and bright colored fish. A smaller tunnel leads to a second dark chamber, a sanctuary for red narval shrimp and leopard gobies and a heaven for macro u/w photographers alike. But the most impressive venue is at the main chamber of the cave where the collapsed roof creates a saltwater lake at the bottom of a wide well curved in the rock, where sunlight on the surface turns water into liquid emerald..
The average depth of the dive is 18 m, while the max is 34 m, appropriate for advanced level divers. The visibility is usually greater than 25 m and temperature ranges between 19-26 °C in summer months, depending on depth. Occasionally a mild current may be encountered at the tip of the wall. Boat ride duration 30′.

 

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The Undercut

In between the iconic little caverns of Kako Lagadi beach and the mushroom shaped rocks of Limenia bay there is a last elevated cove. The underwater scenery is as impressive, with big cuts bellow the rock and crevices full of pseudo corals, tube worms and all species of Mediterranean sponges. Schools of small fish feed against the current around this tip of land and attract predators like amberjacks and blue runners. The newly arrived invasive yet incredibly impressive lionfish also like this spot as can find shelter in the remains of a sunk small barge.

The average depth of the dive is 12 m, while the max is 18 m, appropriate for divers of all levels.

The usual visibility is 24 m and temperature ranges between 19-25 °C in summer months. Occasionally a moderate surface current may be encountered. Boat ride duration 9′.

 

 

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Giant Rudder Wreck

At the eastern edge of Kakava Shoals and within an extended meadow of  Neptune’s seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) a  surprise awaits for divers to discover; the remains of an unidentified shipwreck. Huge riveted steel plates indicate that the vessel was built prior to WWII, when welding for shipbuilding wasn’t the settled method. Among shaft and winch parts the most impressive feature is the giant rudder of the ship that lies virtually intact. The steel pieces create a small artificial reef in the middle of seagrass where saddled and white seabreams, all kinds of wrasses, parrotfish and damselfish find shelter, whilst quite often predators like amberjacks and red snappers and also loggerhead turtles are visitors.

The average depth or the dive is 7 m, while the max is 10 m, appropriate for divers of all levels.

The usual visibility is 25 m and temperature ranges between 22-27 °C in summer months. Occasionally a substantial surface current may be encountered. Boat ride duration 6′.

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Antisamos Roman Wreck

Some 2000 years ago, the journey of a Roman ship seeking shelter in picturesque Antisamos Bay ended tragically with a crash at the sharp rocks at the north of the bay. Since then, all kinds of gobies, scorpionfish, moray eels, parrot fish, octopus, nudibranch and many more marine species have claimed the cargo’s hundreds of amphorae as a habitant. Where the boat crushed, the rubble of the amphora form blocks starting at a depth of few meters with individual pieces scattered down to the slope to the depth of around 35 meters where also the massive anchor of the boat can be seen. Behind the schools of two-banded seabreams, large dusky groupers observe the divers and red snappers are common visitors from the deeper zone.

The average depth of the dive is 15 m, while the max is 35 m, appropriate for advanced level divers. The visibility is usually greater than 20 m and temperature ranges between 18-25 °C in summer months, depending on depth. Occasionally a weak current may be encountered at the surface. Boat ride duration 30′.

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Mazi Wall

Located at Ithaca’s southwestern coast, there is the protected inlet of Mazi, that since ancient times gives shelter to sailors from the prevailing NW wind. An evidence for this is the scuttered ancient amphora in the inlet. The vivid coastal reef is full of all kinds of small fishvivid coastal reef is full of all kinds of small fish, nudibranch, crustaceans and moray eels for divers and underwater photographers to discover. Suddenly divers discover that there is drop forming a steep wall. Around the depth of 35 meters, large tube worms taking advantage of the currents as do huge schools of damselfish. Behind the clouds of the small fish, divers can spot Goldblotch groupers larking to prey on the schools of damselfish. Depending on the season, large groups of amberjacks or bonitos flashing like silver arrows through the blue to attack the defendless damselfish.

The average depth of the dive is 15 m, while the max is 35 m, appropriate for advanced level divers. The visibility is usually greater than 30 m and temperature ranges between 17-25 °C in summer months, depending on depth. Occasionally a mild current may be encountered at the tip of the wall. Boat ride duration 25′.

 

 

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