If you are looking for a diving opportunity, taking a holiday to Turkey may not automatically spring to mind. However, Turkey is a safe and cheap place to learn and enjoy this amazing sport.The Aegean coast line offers the best diving. The water is warm and clear, there are few tides or currents to concern and there are hardly any sharks! Of course, the prospect of no sharks will delight some and thoroughly dismay others, but there are plenty of other attractions to keep you enthused off the Turkish coast. Here are five of best diving areas Turkey has to offer…

1. Fethiye is a relaxed holiday town with over twenty quality dives, going from shallow, right outside of the harbour, to over 50 metres in depth. The lack of any currents in this area makes it extremely safe and ideal for beginners. Dalyan Bay is the most popular site for beginner and advanced divers alike. It is easily accessible, with abundant fish. The Afkule Wall is a beautiful dive, home to Moray eels hiding in its cracks. It has colourful coral surrounding an impressive open cavern, from whence it has received its notoriety.

2. Marmaris is a long, laid back beach town, with a beautiful mountain backdrop, also visible from many of its local dive spots. Kadirga Rock is the best dive at Marmaris; another site with archaeological past, you may be able to find some ancient ship anchors, along with the obligatory amphora. The Rock has wide ranging marine life for this area, including a friendly resident Grouper.

3. For history buffs, Gallipoli and the Dardanelles are immediately recognisable as the sites of a huge failed military campaign, carried out by the British and the French against the Turks during the First World War. As such, the seas surrounding these areas are littered with scores of wrecks from this era. Most diving trips in this area will go from Cannakkale to the Sulva Bay area. Here lie wrecks such as the Lundi, a British military cargo vessel sunk in 27 metres of sea. You can still access the hold of this ship, which is still largely intact. Many also choose to dive on the unknown troop and provision carrier that was sunk just off of ANZAC Cove. This is probably due to its proximity to the beach, but it is also an atmospheric reminder of the destruction and slaughter that occurred at that place just under a hundred years ago.

4. Bodrum overlooks a number of small rock islands and reefs that channel water to produce light currents, attracting larger fish to the area. As one of the largest Aegean towns, Bodrum also attracts a healthy number of dive instructors and guide companies. The Amphora fields are an extensive area littered with ancient amphora vessels, used to carry goods via shipping up to 3000 years ago. Over time, the vessels would have been discarded or lost overboard, as they sailed in and out of Bodrum, a major trading post. Most of the amphora is broken but many are still intact and strikingly well preserved.

5. Kas probably comes top of all the Turkish dive sites, due to the range, frequency and quality of the dives. There are plenty of caves, reefs and wrecks in the area, along with abundant marine life such as Moray eel, rays and Hawksbill turtles. The area encompasses Arkeopark, the site of a ship wreck dating from the 14th Century BC, the oldest known. The actual wreck has been raised and taken to the Bodrum Museum for its preservation and further study, but a replica has been laid in its place and the area is now open to divers, following extensive recording and excavation. The wreck of a World War Two Italian aircraft, sometimes called ‘Flying Fish,’ is seen as one of Turkey’s best dives. The preservation is excellent. At 65 metres, however, this is a technical dive for the more experienced.

So while Turkey may not seem immediately synonymous with diving holidays, its coastlines offer more than enough options for enthusiastic divers no matter your level of experience.

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In this blogpost I’ll talk about Scuba Diving in Bodrum, it is one of the best resorts in Turkey. Bodrum is truly the pearl of Turkey. Because of its beauty and richness of the underwater world Bodrum is considered to be the best travel destination for scuba diving in the country. In Bodrum there are about 15 officially opened dive sites with excellent visibility up to 20 -30 m depth. In summer the water temperature is + 23 – 25 C – perfect both for advanced and novice divers.

Scuba Diving in Bodrum, Turkey: General Conditions

• Water temperature:   18°C (65°F) in May to 30°C (86°F) in August
• Suit:   7mm semi dry suits recommended cool months, 3mm-5mm wetsuit during hot months
• Visibility:   20 to 40 meters (70 to 129 feet)
• Diving types:   Wrecks, reefs, walls, drop-offs, caverns and tunnels
• Flora and Fauna:   Octopus, stingrays, groupers, barracuda, morays, sea bream, nudibranchs, seahorses and sponges. There is chance to see dolphins and turtles, but it’s not common.
• Best time to visit:   The diving season runs from April to November at most centers
• Visa permit:   Visa  can be obtained on landing and cost  of it is about  $20.  Hold ups are common during departure , so be patient.

Now I’ll describe famous diving sites. On the picture below I’ve marked diving sites on the map ( with names )

All main dive site are located near to Kara Ada ( Black Island )

Kurt Burun   (KÜRTLER BURUN )
An ideal place for diving both for experienced and novice divers. Rock formation begins with three meters and reach up to 30 m. Almost every time you dive you can see morays, octopus, and many other inhabitants of the underwater world of Aegean.

Buyuk Reef  – Büyük Rif    – Big reef
It will take only 20 minitues to reach here from Bodrum. Otopuses, eels (Moray eels), small fish, huge groupers, barracudas and many other varieties of marine life expected to be seen in Buyuk reef (Büyük Rif ) . This dive site is suitable for experienced divers as often there are currents. The drop-off descends up to 50 meters.

Kucuk Reef  Küçük Rif  – Small reef
Kucuk rif – Small Reef – practically does not differ from the Big Reef. Only dimensions are distinguished. Under favorable weather conditions and with certain desire divers can make diving in both reefs during one day. Large and small reefs are the most vivid and colorful dive sites of Bodrum

Fener
Just around the corner of  Kára  ( Kara ada or Black island )  is located a dive site which is called Fener (Lighthouse). Rock formations begin at 5m depth and descend to 20 meters. Here you can find morays, octopus, dragon-fish and other inhabitants of marine life.

Pacoz Koyu  -  paçoz koyu
Located between Fener and Kacakci. Approximately 8m wall falls up to 24 meters. If you’re lucky – you can see octopus and barracuda. At a depth of about 6-7 meters deep, you’ll see a wall covered by different vegetation. At a depth of 14 m there is a sunken yacht. So this dive site is also good for wreck diving.

Kacakci Koyu  -  Kaçakçı koyu
Located at a distance of 30 minutes from Bodrum. Kacakci Koyu is an ideal place for diving both for professionals and beginners. There are two places in this dive site for diving: the left part and right part of the bay. Slowly until the depth of 26 m fall breed education. In rocky cracks moray eels are hiding. Also, many orfozes  and colorful sponges can be seen.

Delikli Magara – DELİKLİ MAĞARA
At a distance of 40 minutes from Bodrum is located a Cave with approximately 14m depth. The entrance to it is out of the Black Island (Kara ada). This place is convenient for diving both for experienced divers and novice divers. Purple and yellow minerals within the cave surely worth your attention. During immersion you may meet orfoz, morays, Lagos, octopus and other small colorful fish. Entrance to the cave is very wide. Experienced divers can swim inside the cave and swim through the hole-pipe in its ceiling. In the cave there are a large number of rock fish. On  the ceiling of the cave, a hole with diameter of 1 m and height  6m from where you can emerge to surface. The most interesting thing is that air bubbles which are going up out of regulator gathering all together on the top of the cave. Having a camera with you should not miss the chance to capture it.

Poyraz Koyu – Poyraz Köyü
Located behind the Black Island (Kara Ada) about  45 minutes from Bodrum. Considering the fact that in Gulf always persist blowing wind, thus in the hot summer this place have cool freshening effect. Poyraz Koyu is an ideal place for diving both for experienced and novice divers. This place is suitable even for divers who are going to dive first time. Rock formations begin at depth of 5m and descend up to 20 meters.  Orfoz, moray eels, starfish, octopus and various other small fishes met on your journey. Fragments of ancient amphorae can be found in this dive site.

Yassi Ada
Yassi ada – an island formed from volcanic lava. This diving site is suitable for immersion only for experienced divers and professionals, as there are strong currents. This place is famous because sometime Rays with up to 3 meter of length can be seen.
Aksona Ucu
Far  from Bodrum  beyond the  Black Island  there is a small island called Aksona ucu. Wrecks of Ottoman ship which sunken in ancient times awaiting its visitors. The area was explored by fisherman of sponges «Mehmet axons».Great variety of small fish, octopus, several species of sea stars, colorful sponges, etc.

Orak Adasi   ( orak island )
Orak Island in the east of Bodrum is a true paradise for divers with its’ unusual caves, colorful sponges and 100m natural wall. Stone formation in shallow water gives Orak island special beauty. Perfect place to dive both for novice and experienced divers, natural wall starts from 6m and descend up to 90 m. We encourage all divers to see this wall. This place is located a bit far from Bodrum 1.5hours to reach.

Tilki Burnu
Located to the south of Black Island. Distance: 50 minutes from Bodrum. Suitable only for experienced divers. Immersion takes place among the rocky ledges, ups and down the slopes of rocky formations, large quantities of algae and seaweed giant shells. In this area, many small caves and on depth of 26m there is a semi-cave.

Image Gallery from diving sites of Bodrum

If you’ve some good images about this topic please help us as we’ve not enough photos of Bodrum dive sites . Please send your photos to admin(at)dailyscubadiving.com ( with dive site name ) – Thanks in advance

For budget flights to Bodrum, we recommend Low Cost Airline Guide for your flight search requirements

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