Nemesis Shipwreck

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Nemesis Shipwreck

The Nemesis III wreck was sunk in the Protaras Marine Protected Area (MPA) in 2013 to create an artificial reef, joining the Liberty wreck that was sunk in 2009.

The former fishing vessel was built in France in 1956. She now lies upright in the MPA, just 90 metres away from the Liberty. As such, the site is particularly good for scooter diving between the two wrecks, passing the submerged two-metre cross placed there by famous Russian explorer Feodor Konyukhov, which was added to with a statue of the Mother of God by a Russian diving centre.
Divers can enter the wreck and swim through its hull and bridge; explore the small cabin with its railed veranda, as well as the engines and corridor where all manner of marine life thrives. The safe swim throughs make the Nemesis suitable for basic wreck diving. The site is also ideal for training for the Advanced Open Water qualification.
The amazing array of marine life at the site includes ascidian, grouper, lionfish, moray eels, sea slugs, squid, tube worms and tuna. Large numbers of amberjacks pass through seasonally.

Location: Protaras,Ammochostos
GPS Coordinates: 35° 3’3.72″N 34° 2’11.05″E
Type of Dive Site: Wreck (also suitable for scooter diving)
Depth: 26 metres
Visibility: 20+metres
Dimensions: 25 metres long / 6 metres wide
Access: By boat
Qualification Required:  Advanced Open Water / Boat Diver
Dive Category: Recreational Diving

 

Nemesis Shipwreck by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Nemesis diving route click here

Kyrenia Shipwreck

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Kyrenia Shipwreck

Location: Agia Napa

Type of dive site: Artificial reef

Depth: 23 metres

Visibility:  25 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Advanced Open Water

Features: This old Greek navy boat has become home to a variety of marine life, including moray eels and groupers, which can be spotted in abundance.

Interesting Facts: This old war ship was donated by the Cyprus Ministry of Defence to be sunk in March 2015 for the purposes of creating an artificial reef, with the aim of encouraging the increase of marine life to the area.

Kyrenia ship dimensions:

Lenght: 29 metres

Width: 5 metres

Depth: 2.54 metres

 

 

Kyrenia Shipwreck by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Kyrenia Shipwreck diving route click here

Chapel

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Chapel

The charming, little, white washed Agioi Anargyroi chapel that sits above this dive site gives it its name, with steps on the water’s edge leading down to the entry point where a sudden drop allows divers to descend fairly quickly.

Divers are then rewarded with the sight of beautiful, changing underwater scenery that unfolds with overhangs and ledges; cliff faces with fossils; rocks with sponges and encrusted, shattered amphorae on the seabed.

The highly popular and picturesque dive at Cape Gkreko is ideal for all levels of diver, and for navigation, deep dives and night dives – where octopi and eel hunt for their food in the darker hours. An array of other sea creatures live among the rocks and meadows of Posidonia seagrass, including bream, grouper, lionfish, moray eels, nudibranch and sea urchins.

Location:Cape Gkreko – Protaras, Ammochostos
GPS Coordinates: 34° 58’33.88″N 34° 4’33.98″E
Type of Site:Rocky, Sandy, Drop Off (cliff)
Depth:40 metres
Visibility:20+ metres
Access:Easy access up to the entry point (steps), but difficult entryand exit point.
Qualification Required:Open Water
Dive Category:Recreational and Technical Diving

Laboe Shipwreck

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Laboe Shipwreck

Location: Geroskipou, Pafos (Paphos) region

Type of dive site: Artificial reef

Depth:  27 metres

Visibility: 20 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Advanced Open Water (AOW)

Features: Although still relatively new, the artificial reef has already attracted some resident groupers and other varied marine life, including barracudas and bream.

Interesting Facts: Built in Germany in 1940 as a cruise ship, the Laboe was brought to Cyprus in 2006 and donated to the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research by the Cyprus Tourism Organisation and the Cyprus Dive Centres Association. It was sunk as an artificial reef with the aim of encouraging the increase of marine life to the area.

 

Laboe (diving_routes) by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Laboe Diving Route click here

Amphora Cave

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Amphora Cave

This marvel of nature created by the sea currents of two thousand years is a network of rock formations given its name from the amphorae-encrusted ceiling of one of the caves.

In particular, beginner divers – or the more timid – will enjoy the mostly sandy, flat surface of the site that offers an experience of cave with reef and offers plenty of natural light.

And when evening sets, the mood of the topography changes, with numbers of shrimps, lobsters, black sea cucumbers and cuttlefish venturing out, making the site perfect for night diving too.

At the deepest part of the dive are meadows of Posidonia seagrass where pearly razorfish in iridescent gold and red tones make their home, and sometimes stingray, whilst scorpionfish hide among the seaweed.
Other marine life to spot includes bream, damselfish, hermit crabs, moray eels, octopi and wrasse.

Location: Pafos
GPS Coordinates: 34°43’21.6″N 32°26’13.0″E
Type of dive site: Rocky and Sandy Bottom
Depth: 14 metres
Visibility: 20+ metres
Access: By boat
Qualification Required:Open Water
Dive Category:Recreational Diving

Vera K Shipwreck

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Vera K Shipwreck

Location: Pafos (Paphos) Harbour

Type of dive site: Wreck

Depth: 11 metres

Visibility: 25 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Open Water (OW)

Features: Two large archways and narrow tunnels are suitable for experienced divers to explore with plenty of marine life to observe, including grouper.

Interesting Facts: This Lebanese freighter ran aground in shallow water in 1972 and was initially used as target practice by the army. It was later declared a hazard to other ships and blown up in 1974. It now rests in a crater created by the explosion. It is in four main sections with the bridge still fairly intact.

Vera K Dive Site by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

White Star Shipwreck

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on White Star Shipwreck

Location: Pafos (Paphos) Harbour

Type of dive site: Wreck

Depth: 14-18 metres

Visibility: 20 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Open water (OW)

Features: The ample loading bays of this site are home to groupers, breams and other marine life.

Interesting Facts: This former Russian fishing vessel (built in 1954) sank at sea, close to Pafos Harbour in 2006 as she was being towed to Lemesos to be completely scrapped.

Devils Head Diving Site

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Devils Head Diving Site

Location: Akamas Peninsula, Pafos (Paphos) region

Type of dive site: Rock

Depth: 11 metres

Visibility: 20 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Open Water (OW)

Features: A combination of caves and interconnecting tunnels with a variety of marine life make this an interesting dive. Fortunate divers may also spot Green and Loggerhead turtles during the turtle season.

Interesting Facts: Green and Loggerhead turtles nest in Akamas and are a protected species under the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention).

Amphitheatre

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Amphitheatre

Located next to the Church Bay dive site at Coral Bay, the beautiful underwater landscape of Amphitheatre takes its name from its natural rock formation that resembles an amphitheatre, cut out by the undulating sea currents of two thousand years.

With a mostly flat, sandy surface, the site is perfect for beginners – and even snorkelers – and provides interest with a topography of holes, arches and overhangs.

Notable features include the valley walls where huge, colourful sea snails dwell, and a second amphitheatre with a ‘skylight’ created by a vertical opening.

Starting with the groups of squid that are sometimes spotted inside the large sandy patch of the bay at the beginning of the dive site, divers will also see bream, cuttlefish, flounders, grouper, moray eels, octopi, trumpet fish, wrasse and the occasional sighing of a turtle.

Location: Coral Bay, Pafos
GPS Coordinates: 34°51’21.06″N 32°20’44.64″E
Type of Dive Site:Rocky and Sandy Bottom
Depth:16 metres
Visibility:20+ metres
Access:Shore
Qualification Required:Open Water
Dive Category:Recreational Diving

Amphitheatre by visitcyprus on Sketchfab

For the Amphitheatre diving route click here

Alexandra Wreck Diving Site

Posted on | by cconstantinou | Leave a Comment on Alexandra Wreck Diving Site

Location: Larnaka (Larnaca) Bay

Type of dive site: Wreck

Depth: 32 metres

Visibility: 25 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Advanced Open Water (AOW)

Features: The site features the same marine life with schools of fish including grouper, barracuda, kingfish, jacks and trigger fish, as well as moray eels, stingrays, turtles and octopus.

Interesting Facts: The Alexandra was a wooden Egyptian fishing vessel that sank in 2006 and measures 37 metres across.