Turkey, a country on two continents, is truly a paradise for any divers. They can enjoy in natural underwater beauty but also can make the grand adventure to enjoy in “ruins” of history treasure…
Let us introduce to you some most amazing underwater museum and wrecks in Turkey:
Side Underwater Museum – Side
You must have been to the museum before. However, we do not think you have seen an underwater museum, especially a museum where you can smell history underwater. In the Side Underwater Museum in 2015, they placed 117 different sculptures in underwater places 1.5 miles off the sea by divers. The sculptures are at depths of 7, 11, 18, 24 meters. Sculptures such as the theme of the Dardanelles Wars, the theme of the Mevlana whirling dervishes and the camel caravan, and the sculptures such as Poseidon, the God of the Sea (about 3 meters tall and 5 tons in weight) and the flower garden were also downloaded for underwater lovers. 5 million divers dive into Side Underwater Museum every year. The region is also in the migration zone of many fish species. Side Underwater Museum is also especially important, as it is the largest underwater museum in Europe and the second-largest in the world.
St. Didier Wreck – Antalya
On July 4, 1941, British planes sank the St. Didier ship off Antalya marina. The ship is 10 meters wide and 96 meters long. The maximum depth of the ship is 30 meters. There are 4 panzers with combat ammunition, guns, gas masks inside. This is the absolute must for experienced divers plunge for one of Turkey’s few wrecks.
Paris 2 Wreck – Kemer
Paris 2 ship Kemer, sunk by the Artillery Battery under the command of Artillery Captain Mustafa Ertogrul on December 13, 1917, is 500 meters away from the marina. There are 6 anti-aircraft guns and 2 torpedo tubes on the ship. This is a diving spot that has become the center of attention of divers and underwater photographers. Besides this diving spot in Kemer, there are diving spots in Fener shallow area, in front of Club med, Koca nose, Rash stones, Kiris Bay, Paw wreck.
Flying Fish Counter – Kas
Kas and Meis Island are near Flying Fish. The name Sparviero (Sparrowhawk) is a nickname for the Italian Savoia-Marchetti SM79 model of a bomber wreck. The plane has been lying between 55-71 meters at the southeast end of the counter, the top of which starts at 4 meters. They shot it down by the anti-aircraft fire while bombing Meis during the World War II.
Flying Fish is not suitable for amateur divers as it is a deep-diving point. We consider it a paradise for those who love diving. When the current is at a tolerable level, one cannot get enough of watching the silverfish, grouper, leer, barracuda, bonito, and red barber fish on the walls. However, we remind you that this place is below the recreational diving limits and it is necessary to dive without exceeding the depth limits. Diving can be done with an instructor, without descending to the plane level.
Canyon – Dimitri (Pamuk) Wreck – Kas
To reach Kanyon, which is a Kas classic, it is necessary to pass the shallow gorge between the two islands against the current. Then you see the Canyon in the form of two sheer walls that fall 20 meters under the sea. The fragile formations on the walls fascinate every diver while flying down.
The Dimitri (Pamuk) wreck outside the canyon is a small cargo ship that hit the islands in 1968 and scattered Pamuk bales around it. A work placed in the memory of Gökhan Türe, who contributed a lot to Kaş and the underwater community at 30 meters on the shipwreck road, also draws attention.
Monem Wreck – Cesme
Monem, which was built in 1956 in Nuremberg, Germany as a cargo ship with a length of 75 meters and a width of 13.5 meters, is 15 minutes away from Cesme by sea. The dry cargo ship, which completed its economic life, was caught in a storm while on its way to Aliağa to be dismantled in November 2004, the towing rope broke and sank off near Cesme. Since then, it has become a haven for marine creatures and a curious dive spot for divers. Extending over the hull of the ship it represents the biggest wreck diving that can be done in Turkey. The deepest place where the wreck sits is at 18 meters. It offers hospitality to hundreds of divers of all badge levels throughout the year, in favorable weather conditions. People who have not received scuba diving training can snorkel here.