Scuba Diving in Turkey

Dive Site: The Gates
Location: Bodrum, Turkey
Description: Reef with tunnels and caverns
Depth: 3 – 30 metres (10 – 100 feet)
Visibility: 25 metres + (80 feet)

The Gates was certainly my favourite dive during our week in Turkey. Located on the southern coastline between Kargi Harbour and Ekice Cape this dive site has underwater canyons, chimneys and cavern like swim-throughs. Descending just a few metres below the surface were jagged volcanic rock layers resembling an almost science fiction moonscape. Swimming along at just 3 metres, the light beams penetrated from above and reflected of the rocks providing a dancing display of underwater laser beams. Then as soon reached a hole in the wall and descended one-by-one into a chimney which opened into an underwater cavern. Looking back up, other divers descending were silhouetted against the light from the entrance. On the way through some short tunnels and cracks before reaching a deep blue backdrop as we exited out onto the main reef at 20 metres. Dropping down the sheer wall to 30 metres the sandy sea floor intersected with the rock and continued to slope away.A large outcrop before ascending to 12 metres where the reef top was covered in seagrass with the occasional orange sponge. Re-entered the caverns and swam through a small maze of fissures before finally ascending up another chimney and exiting onto the rocky reef top at 5 metres. Carried out our safety stops amidst a myriad of bubbles which seeped up from below through every gap in the rocks making you feel like you were in a bottle of champagne.

Scuba Diving in Turkey

Dive Site: The Gates
Location: Bodrum, Turkey
Description: Reef with tunnels and caverns
Depth: 3 – 30 metres (10 – 100 feet)
Visibility: 25 metres + (80 feet)

The Gates was certainly my favourite dive during our week in Turkey. Located on the southern coastline between Kargi Harbour and Ekice Cape this dive site has underwater canyons, chimneys and cavern like swim-throughs. As the entrance on the water as a group and swam close to the coastline before dropping into crystal clear visibility well in excess of 20 metres. Descending just a few metres below the surface were met with jagged volcanic rock layers resembling an almost science fiction moonscape. Swimming along at just 3 metres, the light beams penetrated from above and reflected of the rocks providing a dancing display of underwater laser beams. A hole in the wall and descended one-by-one into a chimney which opened into an underwater cavern. Looking back up, other divers descending were silhouetted against the light from the entrance. You will go through some short tunnels and cracks before reaching a deep blue backdrop as you exited out onto the main reef at 20 metres. Dropping down the sheer wall to 30 metres the sandy sea floor intersected with the rock and continued to slope away as you headed west. Before long a rounded a large outcrop before ascending to 12 metres where the reef top was covered in seagrass with the occasional orange sponge. Now heading east we re-entered the caverns and swam through a small maze of fissures before finally ascending up another chimney and exiting onto the rocky reef top at 5 metres. Here we carried out our safety stops amidst a myriad of bubbles which seeped up from below through every gap in the rocks making you feel like you were in a bottle of champagne.

Scuba Diving in Turkey

Dive Site: Big Reef
Location: Bodrum, Turkey
Description: Seamount
Depth: 5 – 40 metres (15 – 130 feet)
Visibility: 20 metres + (65 feet)

Big Reef is an underwater seamount located between Bodrum, Gumbet and Black Island. A short 15 minute boat ride from Bodrum the reef top starts at 5 metres. The north side has a sloping side which steps down, whilst the south side is a vertical wall with drop-offs to a sand floor at 40m, which then slopes more gently away. The walls are volcanic and covered in orange sponges with large grouper and stonefish in the deeper sections. Red starfish and spiny urchins are ever present on the reef walls and brown and yellow parrotfish crunch on coral. It was possible to circumnavigate the whole seamount in one dive with only a slight current. Looking up from the depths large schools damsel, chromis and silver bream hung close to the reef as long silver, pickled barracuda patrolled the outer waters looking for a meal. Right into the groups of barracuda near the reef top, where although the current was slightly stronger, it was still comfortable to maintain position and watch the action. This was great dive to do in the early hours as the reef comes to life and is ideal for both experienced and less experienced divers.