Karpathos, Dodecanese, Greece

Karpathos North Reef

Off the small Dodecanese island of Karpathos, midway between Crete and Rhodes, lies a stepped reef and wall system that drops from a shallow plateau at 6 metres to a sandy interface at around 28 metres. The site sits on the open Aegean side of the island, exposed to the prevailing meltemi but blessed with the visibility that comes with that exposure: 30 metres or more is normal in summer and autumn. The reef walls are heavily fissured and host dusky grouper, Mediterranean moray, common octopus, scorpionfish, slipper lobster, ornate wrasse, painted comber and damselfish, with seasonal pelagic visits from amberjack, bonito and the occasional barracuda school. Sea fans of Eunicella cavolinii grow on the deeper overhangs and yellow cluster anemones colonise the shaded recesses. Currents can be moderate to strong on the open side and the dive is best suited to advanced open-water divers comfortable with drift; the lee of the island offers calmer alternatives. Access is by boat from Pigadia.