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Posts Tagged ‘Alexandria’
Blue Hole, Gozo
Unlike the cold European waters to the north, the Mediterranean Sea is frequently thought of as a scuba diver’s dream destination. Many places in the Med offer great diving with the added bonus of some very interesting topside cultural experiences. Some interesting sites in the Eastern Mediterranean include:
Cypress
The Zenobia is a 178 meter long ferry that went down in 1980 with over 100 large vehicles onboard, giving this dive plenty of exploration possibility and making multiple dives here a must. It lies on its port side which starts at a depth of 15m and descends to 42m. Visibility is usually quite good; some days it stretches to 35m. Experienced divers can penetrate the wreck to see the interior, including two trucks still hanging upside down from their chains, but visibility can drop drastically in the confined spaces. Though the wreck is the main attraction, triggerfish, barracuda and enormous grouper can also be spotted here.
Manijin Island is a very scenic dive with a wall, a spectacular algae covered cave and a swim-through with a blowhole to keep a diver continuously engaged through the dive. This dive is ideal for beginners as well as experienced divers with dive depths ranging from 5m to 24m. Marine life highlights include slipper lobsters, big grouper and large shoals of saddle bream. Also, octopi are relatively common around Cyprus, so taking the time to peer into the nooks and crannies on this dive is frequently rewarded with at least one good critter sighting.
Egypt
Alexandria boasts no significant reefs or colorful tropical fish, but rather a wealth of archeological treasures such as sunken cities, palaces and numerous wrecks. Experts estimate that some 7000 monuments belonging to the Pharaonic and Roman dynasties are preserved under Alexandria’s waves. The Underwater city of Cleopatra and her Palace, located just inside the Eastern Harbor, dates back to 300 BC, and was built by Alexander the Great. The city collapsed and fell into the sea after several earthquakes. Divers can see Cleopatra’s royal districts, the statue of Mark Anthony, Cleopatra’s sun boat and the wreckage of a 2nd World War plane that exists inside the ruins. Various monuments, carvings and building ruins can be seen throughout the site.
Crete, Greece
Navagio Wreck, the wreck of a German WWII Messerschmitt 109 fighter, lies 20km West of Agia Pelagiaat at depth of 24m. The wings and fuselage are intact and you can see inside the cockpit. One of the machine guns is clearly visible with one of the ammunition belts lying on the sea bed nearby. Though the plane’s parts are still identifiable, they are covered in a wide variety of coral and sea life, with groupers and moray eels calling the place home. A healthy reef covered with anemones and small colorful fish schools sits nearby in shallower water, offering the diver an interesting way to work off some of the nitrogen after the deeper wreck portion of the dive.
Malta
Cirkewwa offers 7 different dive sites amongst crystal clear blue waters. One in particular, the Rozi tugboat wreck, offers more to see than a diver can possibly accomplish on one dive. The boat was sunk in 1991 as an underwater attraction by a company offering submarine trips. Lying in a depth of almost 40m, the wreck can be seen completly due to the exceptional visibility which is frequently over 30m. This wreck can be dived from shore or by boat. The abundant sea life in the area includes: barracuda, morays, octopus, cuttlefish, wrasse, bream, nudibranchs, scorpion fish, morays and even dolphins. Some parts of the wreck can be penetrated, but with so much going on around it, you may forget to do so once you get down there.
Blue Hole, Gozo is a hike to get to in your gear, but worth the trip. Divers drop over the lip into the calm blue waters, surrounded by fascinating underwater topography of rocks worn down by the tides of time. At about 5m deep, an opening leads to the sea. Outside the opening divers can see coral gardens, small caves and plenty of sea life, but the star of this show is most certainly the natural formation.
Alexandria offers one of the most interesting diving experiences in the world, with more sites being discovered each year. This part of the Mediterranean boasts no reefs or colorful tropical fish, but rather a wealth of archeological treasures such as sunken cities, palaces and numerous wrecks. Experts estimate that some 7000 monuments belonging to the Pharaonic and Roman dynasties are preserved under Alexandria’s waves.
The diving around Alexandria can be divided into some logical groupings based on features and historical period. Some of the more interesting diving includes:
Underwater city of Cleopatra and her Palace – The site is located just inside the Eastern Harbor of Alexandria. The city dates back to 300 BC, and was built by Alexander the Great. The city collapsed and fell into the sea after several earthquakes. Divers can see Cleopatra’s royal districts, the statue of Mark Anthony, Cleopatra’s sun boat and the wreckage of a 2nd World War plane that exists inside the ruins. Various monuments, carvings and building ruins can be seen throughout the site.
Quaitbay Fort – There are three wrecks to dive in the waters below present-day Quaitbay Fort. Two wrecks were ships used to carry goods to Alexandria during Cleopatra’s era. The third wreck is the remains of a Roman shipwreck also used to carry goods to Alexandria. Though quite old, the ships’ structures and typical nautical characteristics can still be distinguished.
Underwater city of Heracleon – Located at a distance of 4 km from the coast of Abou Kir bay, at depth of 8m, lies the ruined buildings of the city of Heracleon, complete with a nearby pharaonic style temple. Found in the temple were 3 colossi carved on red granite for Ptolemy & his queen. Other relics, such as stone monuments, utensils, bronze figures, gold coins and pottery have been recovered at the site, their origin identified as dating from sometime between the 4th. and 1st. centuries BC. This site continues to produce archeological treasures and demonstrates advanced construction techniques.
Napoleon’s Wrecks – In the late 1700’s, Napoleon Bonaparte began his French invasion of Egypt by landing his fleet in Alexandria. His flagship, the Orient, exploded and sank in the Battle of the Nile. At 2700 tons and carrying 120 cannons, this ship makes for a fascinating and well preserved wreck dive. Two other nearby wrecks, the Serieuse and the Artemise were also frigates belonging to Napoleon’s fleet. Artifacts recovered from the wrecks include anchors, cannons, portable firearms, ammunition, navigation instruments, and gold, silver and copper coins.
WWII Wrecks – There are two WWII wrecks near Alexandria. The HMS Calcutta was a C-class British light cruiser, built by Vickers during 1917, and launched during 1918. Despite to her anti-aircraft weapons, the HMS Calcutta was damaged and sunk by a German Junkers Ju 88 bomber in the waters north-west of Alexandria. Due to the location, the visibility around this wreck is consistently better than in Alexandria harbor, and the remaining structure is overflowing with sea life. The second wreck, the HMS Galatea was an Arethusa-class British light cruiser, built in Greenock by Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. during 1933, and launched during 1934. She was intercepted and torpedoed by the German submarine U-557, the explosion scattering the ship’s ruin across the sea floor. Again, the currents surrounding the wreck deliver superior diving visibility.
Siwa Oasis – This isn’t ocean diving, but the opportunity is still fantastic. Siwa is located on the edge of the Great Sand Sea approximately 3-hours into the desert by car from Alexandria. During the Roman Occupation in the early 300 B.C.’s, the Romans modified many of the natural springs that occur here and turned them into wells. The oasis itself is too shallow to dive in, but the surrounding 190 springs and wells offer plenty of unique diving action. The water is crystal clear with fairly constant temps. Typical depths are between 6 and 8 meters with some wells having unique fish varieties which are not native to Egypt. Perhaps the most unique feature, however, is that many contain remains of Roman era construction.
There are some drawbacks to the unique diving in Alexandria. Dive conditions can be difficult at some sites, with medium to low visibility from silt and pollution. Also, divers have a limited selection of reputable dive companies to use, as the lack of a large volume of dive tourists makes it difficult to sustain a dive operation. Finally, government permission to dive some of these sights, like Heracleon, may change without warning as authorities take into account local archeological and drug smuggling activities. But, it seems the challenges may be worth the rewards as few other places in the world allow a diver to combine their sport with such a rich exploration of history.