Kalymnos, Dodecanese, Greece

Telendos Wall

The channel between Kalymnos and the small uninhabited islet of Telendos hosts one of the most spectacular wall dives in the Dodecanese. The substrate of Kalymnos, the historic centre of Aegean sponge diving, drops from the cliff base at the islet's south end into a near-vertical wall that continues past 35 metres on the recreational profile and considerably deeper for technical divers. The wall is heavily fissured limestone with overhangs, cracks and small caverns colonised in the deeper sections by sea fans of Eunicella cavolinii and yellow cluster anemones, and the cracks shelter slipper lobster, scorpionfish, common octopus, Mediterranean moray and dusky grouper. The exposed channel position concentrates current, which in turn brings pelagic visits from amberjack, bonito and seasonal barracuda schools. Visibility regularly exceeds 30 metres in summer and autumn. The dive is suited to advanced open-water divers with drift experience; access is by boat from Pothia or Massouri.