NOS SITES DE PLONGÉE
Comment nous choisissons nos sites de plongée pour la journée
Les clients nous demandent souvent, lors de leur visite, quels sites de plongée nous proposons ou s'ils peuvent réserver une sortie vers un site de plongée en particulier. Bien que nous disposions d'un total de 20 sites de plongée, dont 5 sont accessibles depuis le rivage et 15 depuis un bateau, nous ne pouvons jamais promettre ni prédire un site de plongée spécifique.
En Méditerranée, le temps change beaucoup et n'est pas aussi prévisible que dans les endroits qui proposent un programme de plongée fixe. C'est pourquoi nous évaluons toujours les conditions météorologiques le matin afin de garantir des conditions optimales et sûres à nos clients et à notre équipage. Nous sommes toutefois toujours heureux d'entendre tes souhaits et essayons de les exaucer dans la mesure du possible !
Shinaria
Si tu as déjà plongé avec Dive2gether, il y a de fortes chances que tu aies passé un moment agréable à Shinaria Beach.
La baie est protégée du vent du nord et offre une grande variété de sites pour passer plusieurs jours à plonger. Que tu fasses du snorkeling, que tu prennes tes premières bouffées d'air sous l'eau, que tu fasses des plongées d'entraînement depuis les différentes zones de sable à différentes profondeurs ou que tu admires les immenses canyons et les tombants, ce site de plongée a quelque chose à offrir à tout le monde. Lorsque les conditions météorologiques le permettent, les plongeurs expérimentés peuvent visiter une magnifique caverne. Presque toutes les familles de poissons peuvent être observées à Shinaria, nos préférés étant les adorables poissons-globe curieux que l'on trouve toujours en train de chercher de la nourriture dans le sable.
Profondeur maximale: 27 mètres.
Installations: transats (payants), douches, toilettes, tavernes et parking étroit.
Souda
Cette vaste plage est protégée des courants marins venant de l'ouest et correspondrait à un certain lieu appelé Foinikas décrit dans l'Ancien Testament. Curieux ? Tu peux visiter les vieilles ruines situées à l'intérieur des terres, entourées de palmiers (appelés Foinikas en grec) !
Bien que la majeure partie de la baie soit une zone sablonneuse en pente douce, on trouve différentes formations rocheuses des deux côtés de la baie. Il y a de grandes prairies et des murs d'herbes marines. Nous avons commencé à y installer des tapis d'herbes marines où nous menons des recherches et plantons de nouveaux fragments de Posidonia. Tu peux même participer à nos efforts de reboisement des herbes marines dans le cadre de nos activités de biologie marine ! Ce site de plongée est excellent pour observer différentes espèces marines et il est possible d'y trouver des espèces plus rares telles que l'hippocampe, le syngnathe à nez large ou la raie pastenague. La nuit, tu pourras voir des pieuvres, des seiches ou des murènes à la recherche de leur dîner.
Profondeur maximale: 10 mètres
Installations: transats (payants), douches, toilettes, bar de plage, taverne, vestiaires et grand parking
Ammoudi
Ammoudi signifie « plage de sable » en grec, il n'est donc pas surprenant que l'on trouve de nombreux Ammoudis à travers le pays.
On y trouve une grande diversité de zones sablonneuses, de formations rocheuses avec de magnifiques fissures dans la paroi et des parcelles d'herbes marines. La grotte ensoleillée, qui tire son nom du rideau de lumière qui brille à l'entrée, est particulièrement belle.
Outre la vie marine habituelle que l'on peut observer sur n'importe quel site de plongée côtier, il est parfois possible d'apercevoir des calmars européens dans la baie. Le plateau rocheux peu profond au milieu de la baie est très apprécié des blennies de grande taille ainsi que des petits poissons scorpions.
Pendant ta pause déjeuner, tu pourras déguster le meilleur kebab pita de la Kantina locale ! Ammoudi est souvent fréquenté les jours de vent fort du nord et est également très apprécié pour la plongée de nuit.
Profondeur maximale: 9 mètres.
Installations: transats (payants), douches, toilettes au camping, cantina et grand parking.
Damnoni Old Harbor
Le vieux port était autrefois utilisé pour le transport de marchandises avant la construction des routes traversant les gorges reliant le nord et le sud. Aujourd'hui, il n'est plus utilisé que par quelques bateaux de pêcheurs et les anciens entrepôts ont été transformés en magnifiques maisons de vacances.
Ce trésor ne peut être visité qu'en basse saison et offre des sites de plongée fantastiques ! La basse saison s'accompagne de températures plus froides, ce qui en fait la période idéale pour observer les langoustes et les langoustes espagnoles.
La baie de Damnoni offre un paysage magnifique. L'une de ses caractéristiques uniques est ses plateaux calcaires. Les plongeurs apprécieront ce site de plongée très diversifié, avec différentes profondeurs et d'incroyables canyons plus loin dans la baie.
Profondeur maximale: 25 mètres.
Installations: tuyau d'arrosage d'eau douce, possibilité de déjeuner en voiture pour les pauses toilettes. Le parking se trouve au-dessus du port.
Bali / Karavostasi
À ne pas confondre avec l'île populaire d'Indonésie, la Crète possède son propre Bali ! Ce site de plongée est situé à une heure de route de Plakias, sur la côte nord de l'île. En raison du trajet plus long et donc du programme prolongé, Bali est visité lorsque la plongée n'est pas possible sur la côte sud. Mais ce n'est certainement pas un mauvais choix comme plan B !
Cette jolie petite baie est un terrain de jeu idéal pour les plongeurs. Les poissons se comportent un peu différemment, car ils s'attendent à ce que vous leur donniez à manger (ne nourrissez jamais les animaux sauvages !). Des récifs artificiels ont été construits et tu pourrais même tomber sur une caméra sous-marine fixe qui te filme en direct. Une raison de plus pour être hydrodynamique et avoir une flottabilité parfaite ! C'est une expérience amusante de plonger dans cet endroit qui offre quelque chose pour tous les niveaux !
Profondeur maximale: 20 mètres.
Installations: transats, douches, toilettes, taverne et parking limité.
Duck Rock
Although Duck Rock is just a small rock shaped like a rubber duck, the dive site below is huge and very interesting. Descend along the mooring line and you’ll be directly at 12 meters of depth from where you can follow a wall on your left side to visit the entrance of a cave. This cave is too narrow to enter but you’ll see lots of life around the entry and exit locations. From here you can visit a big overhang at around 25 meters or make your way back through a gorge. Depending on the route you can either follow the wall on the open seaside at a depth of around 12-14 meters or turn around on the plateau that will bring you gradually up to safety stop levels. On your way back to the boat there is another crack you pass where you can find some nudibranchs.
Maximum depth: 30+ meters
Safety stop: Enjoy the shallow waters and beautiful sunlight around Duck Rock and swim the last minute towards the boat
Black Rock
Black Rock is probably one of the most visited boat dive sites in our selection, as it offers something for all and never disappoints. The rock looks a bit like the tip of an iceberg. There’s a large reef at 3-7 meters depth, then the rock makes a steep drop to about 26 meters on the south side. The deeper area is great for spotting bigger groupers and lionfish.
A few lost fishing lines are re-used and tied down to the bottom with a buoy just below the surface. Be sure to spend some time here as they are completely overgrown with molluscs, feather star fish and hydro polyps which attract flabellinas to the area as well. Follow the rock formation and you end up in a beautiful, large canyon with some cracks where lots of cardinal fish like to hide. Near the end of the gorge is always a great opportunity to check for large scorpion fish or moray eels. After the gorge you can head in the right direction back to the boat and enjoy a safety stop on the shallow reef.
Maximum depth: 26 meters (when leaving the wall, deeper is possible)
Safety stop: Hang around the reef at 3-7 meters
Willy's Wall
Dedicated to Willem, the (Dutch) owner of a dive shop on Ammoudi beach who discovered this dive site first. It’s a reef that is laying at least 6 meters below the surface with a sloping bottom on one side and a beautiful straight wall on the other side, covered with holes and overgrown with life. Take a torch with you and cover all spots one by one to find the most life. Sometimes on the bottom we can find big scorpion fish or groupers hiding underneath. This natural reef attracts lots of groups of fish such as the damsel fish that enjoy the view from above. Also quite particular are the ornate wrasses that are active (especially) here during the early summer months when it’s mating time. A typical dive here consists of a part following the wall and a shallower swim back on top of the wall. As the dive site offers plenty of diversity and all kinds of different marine life, we like to say: willy’s wall has got it all!
Maximum depth: 26 meters
Safety stop: Just above the reef together with large groups of damsel fish
Eye of the Tiger
Even though this dive site is very close to our neighbouring site Duck Rock, the bottom type here is completely different. Between the large rock structures, the bottom is covered in small sharp rocks. Sheltered during strong north wind days, Eye of the Tiger is a place to seek calm waters. It lays in a shallow bay, but that is not where it stops.
Following the rocky bottom to the south you’ll stumble on a huge rock formation that has 10 meters on top and is deeper than 40 meters on the deep end. On both sides of the large formation, you’ll find plateaus on different depths that continue like a staircase to the next deeper level. You can make your safety stop relaxing in the shallow waters with beautiful sunlight shining through. Adventurous divers can enter a small cave below the surface and ascend to the surface inside.
Maximum depth: 30+ meters
Safety stop: Enjoy the shallow bay while the minutes tick away
Turkish Delight
Turkish Delight offers perfect shelter from north wind and while big waves can be spotted on sea, this bay has tranquil and light blue waters. There are two routes to follow when diving here, depending on the maximum depth of the group. More advanced divers can enter a large cave, while others can dive along the wall above it. Both will not be disappointed with the huge amounts of Sunset Cup Corals that like to live in the shade. Following the wall, you’ll eventually see a U-turn coming up with a natural spiral staircase bringing you to the plateau above the wall. In case any divers visited the cave, you’ll experience a nice little bubble bath with air leftovers that comes up through tiny channels in the ceiling of the cave. The bay is perfect to spend some time in the shallow to decompress before making your way back to the boat.
Maximum depth: 26 meters (30 meters when leaving the wall)
Safety stop: Enjoy the shallow bay while the minutes tick away
Paligremnos Wall
Paligremnos Wall can be seen from all over Plakias and is the tip of the bay on the left side. All over Paligremnos mountain you’ll find steep, smooth walls and the same goes for this dive site. From the boat’s mooring spot, you can dive in the west direction following the deeper side of the wall. You might already spot your first flabellinas, but if not here, then surely on the way back at the plateau that looks like a balcony above the deeper area. Flabellinas feed on hydro polyps, which look like little dead trees and are very abundant here. You’ll want to bring your macro camera for this dive! Apart from our favorite bright pink nudibranchs, it’s not uncommon to find the greek sea goddess, one of the larger nudibranchs in the Mediterranean Sea.
Maximum depth: 26 meters
Safety stop: Stay close to the wall during the safety stop and swim the last minute towards the boat
Souda Rock
Way back when Dive2gether was a friction of the size it is now, the Koblens family and their team where diving from Souda Bay. Always looking out to sea, they noticed some rocks sticking out of the water. Paul knew that one day he was going to buy a boat and expected this to be an amazing dive site. And he was right! Souda Rock is sheltered from west movement and only a short drive from the harbour and became Dive2gether’s first boat dive site. The dive site actually contains multiple rocks. And is a real diver’s playground with fun canyons to swim through on a shallow depth. On this dive site there is no need to make a safety stop under the boat, but hang around the reef and spot the high density of feather star fish while waiting for the 3 minutes to pass. More advanced divers can visit the so-called Moray Eel Rock which is always a great place to visit as it’s likely to spot a moray eel.
Maximum depth: 27 meters at Moray Eel Rock
Safety stop: Hang around the reef on 5 meter and use the last minute to swim to the boat
Dragon's Nose
Look out from the bay of Plakias and you might understand why this rock structure is referred to as the sleeping dragon of Plakias. Underwater the formation continues and gives the impression that the Dragon is sticking out its tongue. Here we find a bay that’s naturally sheltered from west wind, which is rare on the entire south coast of Crete.
The bay is a little shallower, but you can follow the "tongue" of the dragon to get to slightly deeper waters. When you cross the tongue, you might come across a particular crack which is great for spotting groups of cardinal and squirrel fish. Down here you reach the deepest point of the dive, you can keep the wall on your right and if time allows, pay a visit to the narrow pink cave, or the nostril of the dragon if we stick to the story. It’s overgrown in pink algae and there is a beautiful curtain of light shining in from an opening on the surface.
Maximum depth: 20 meters
Safety stop: Swimming from the tongue to the boat or before entering the pink cave
Dragon's Nose II
When visiting Dragon’s Nose, visiting its deeper brother Dragon’s Nose II is an excellent alternative to avoid making the same dive twice. To experience Dragon’s Nose II to the fullest, we recommend swimming out from the boat and descending on the south side of the ”tongue”. Here you can find a big deeper rock that’s often surrounded by large schools of picarels and the rocks and walls have lots of holes where marine life is hiding. It’s a great place to spot nudibranchs and moray eels. Just don’t get too distracted by all the cool life and remember to watch your deco time and air supply!
Maximum depth: 27 meters
Safety stop: Swimming from the tongue to the boat
Doggy Rock Bay
It’s debatable if this rock structure looks like the name it’s been given, but when you dive here you never know what you are going to get. Because of the many different levels and proximity to the open sea, you can be surprised with big fishes or even rays passing by. When keeping your eyes on the wall, you’ll find many feathered starfish, large spined sea urchins and divers with an eye for details can spot nudibranchs as well. The highlight of this dive site is the view to the deep drop that goes down way deeper than recreational divers can visit. On the way back you can follow the wall at any preferred depth and even spend some shallow time in the little bay which is an overgrown, rocky area, where a beautiful and large spiral tube worm lives.
Maximum depth: 30+ meters
Safety stop: Enjoy the shallow bay while the minutes tick away
Doggy Rock Drop
Being the neighbour of the dive site Doggy Rock Bay, this dive site is located a little closer to the big drop and sheltered from strong north wind. On days with strong wind, it might look very calm here, but don’t be fooled by it. You can be surprised with an underwater current in an opposite direction as you would expect, so plan your dive here with caution. The scenery on this dive site is magnificent and has something from the scenes of a Lord of the Rings movie. Don’t forget to also peek away from the wall every now and then, you might be surprised by big hunting fish coming by, such as the dentex or one of the larger groupers. Advanced divers can dive under the big overhang that peeks over the deep drop which is shared by the neighbour dive site. Afterwards there is a pathway leading you back to the plateau where a few rock formations give you a pleasant time swimming back to the boat.
Maximum Depth: 30+ meters
Safety stop: Hanging under the boat
Grand Gate
Grand Gate got its name from looking like a big arch above the surface, which continues underwater and is a large gateway to swim through. The boat is moored in front of the little bay above the 17-meters-deep bottom. From here you can make your way to the tunnel, either spend some time first at the outside wall, or dive directly through it. The gate is big enough for all divers to go in simultaneously and when entering, the exit on the other side is already visible. This creates an awesome view to see the sunlight hitting from the other side. On both sides of the arch there is a playground for divers. Lots of boulders that must have fallen from the high shoreline create little swim throughs and overhangs. In the bay on the east side, you can find lots of sessile animals making this site a great one for our Hidden in Plain Sight marine biology activity.
Maximum depth: 19 meters
Safety stop: Swim at 5 meters depth from the bay towards the boat and finish the stop there
Fisherman's Friend
This is the dive site with the longest boat drive required to get there. It got its name because the area is popular for fishing as it’s close to the deep sea and we often find fishing nets around this place. Keep your eyes on the horizon when relaxing on the boat, it’s not uncommon for larger marine animals to come to the surface here, far away from land. Once descending to the 15-meter-deep plateau, you can start an excellent dive along the drop-off. Take a torch with you to check out the abundance of marine life hiding in the cracks and overhangs. In the east direction from the boat is a gorge-like structure, go past this gorge and you can find an elephant ear sponge, one of the biggest to be found in the Mediterranean Sea. When diving along the drop-off, keep an eye out for the deep blue as we have had quite a few sightings of sting rays and bigger groupers in this area.
Maximum depth: 40+ meters
Safety stop: Hanging under the boat. Keep an eye out so you don’t drift away!
Papadoplaka
The latest addition to the Dive2gether dive sites and not entirely explored yet is Papadoplaka. Papadoplaka is Greek for “the priest rock”, which was given to this rock because it lies just one meter below the surface, making it a dangerous spot for boat traffic even though it’s a lovely place to dive. There’s a rumour that in the past a boat failed to avoid this holy plateau and sunk. Although we have looked for it, we were not able to find any pieces of a shipwreck but fell in love with this lovely dive site. With the bottom too deep to make a mooring, visiting this dive site is only possible with a free drifting boat. You can gear up at the mooring of the Grand gate, taxi to the dive site and start at the big boulder where you’ll be accompanied by lots of damsel fish. Not many have dived this place so if you go here, you’ll be among the few explorers of Papadoplaka.
Maximum depth: 19 meters
Safety stop: Follow the wall on 5 meter and swim in mid water to the boat
Elephant Rock
Similar to Dragons Nose II, this dive site is sharing its mooring line with the neighbour dive site, in this case the one from Paligremnos Wall. If you are not sure why this place is called Elephant Rock, ask your captain to make a drive by and point it out to you. You don’t need too much imagination to recognize an elephant shape including an eye and the trunk going underwater and sticking out again, like the elephant is ready for a few splashes. The main feature to this dive site is the spacious cavern that can be found when following the wall. After spending some time here, you might want to go even further and spot some old rails that were part of a brown coal mining project dating many years back. Just like many places it’s common to come across Lionfish here, but be careful as they seem to be a little cheekier in this area compared to other dive sites.
Maximum depth: 19 meters
Safety stop: Stay close to the wall for some time at 5 meters and swim the last minute of your stop towards the boat
Share Your Memories
Which of these is your favorite dive site? We'd love to hear about your favorite memories you made diving here!