Santorini, Cyclades, Greece

Indian Rock

Indian Rock is a freestanding pinnacle off the outer caldera face of Santorini, named for the rock's silhouette which from the surface resembles a profiled face wearing a feathered headdress. The pinnacle rises from a sandy bottom at around 30 metres to within 4 metres of the surface, allowing a full circumnavigation in a single dive. The volcanic walls are deeply fissured and dotted with overhangs that shelter dusky grouper, Mediterranean moray, scorpionfish and the occasional brown meagre. Cracks at depth host octopus and slipper lobster, while the shallow shoulder is patrolled by schools of damselfish, salema and ornate wrasse. Currents are frequently moderate because of the pinnacle's exposed position on the open caldera face, and they concentrate plankton that in turn attracts amberjack and bonito in late summer. The dive is best suited to advanced open-water divers comfortable navigating around an isolated structure in current; entry is by boat from Vlychada or the south-coast operators.