Hvar & the Pakleni Islands · Croatia · Cave & cavern · Wall
Kabal
A tunnel crossing beneath the Kabal Peninsula
Photo: Argo Navis · CC BY-SA 4.0
Kabal is a tunnel dive on Hvar that passes beneath the Kabal Peninsula from one side to the other. After the tunnel the dive continues along a gorgonian wall to a cluster of rocks, so a single dive takes in a swim-through, a wall and a maze of small gullies.
Also known as Kabal Peninsula.
Where it is and how deep
43.2248° N, 16.5193° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The entrance to the tunnel is at 9 m, directly below the concrete steps that lead to a small lighthouse on the shore. The tunnel runs 25–30 m (80–100 ft) under the peninsula and shelters scorpionfish, congers and red cardinalfish, along with crayfish and galatheas that keep to the dark.
The tunnel exits on the far side of the peninsula at 17 m. From there the route follows a wall covered with orange gorgonians before reaching a picturesque cluster of rocks that forms a labyrinth of valleys and passages.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Hvar & the Pakleni Islands: Boats run from 1 May to 1 October; no month stands out as best for the diving, and August is the busiest.
Know before you go
- The route passes through an overhead tunnel 25–30 m long under the peninsula, with no direct way up to the surface until the exit at 17 m.
Dive videos
20081009 Hvar Kabal Cave Diving · Vojko Nezmah on YouTube
20071008 Hvar Kabal Wall Diving · Vojko Nezmah on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Kabal tunnel dive?+
The tunnel is entered at 9 m and exited at 17 m on the far side of the peninsula, so the dive stays within Open Water depth, though it passes through an overhead tunnel.
Sources
- Dive Sites - Black Pearl Jelsa — Black Pearl Scuba Diving Jelsa
- OpenStreetMap: Rt Kabal lighthouse — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- A low wooded headland with a pale rocky shoreline across deep blue water, one white sailing boat in front of it by Argo Navis, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Hvar & the Pakleni Islands
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A bay slope that steps down onto a second sandy terrace
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A big Admiral anchor hanging on the very edge of the cliff
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A gentle slope turning into a wall below the Baba lighthouse
Pinnacle
A bell-tower-shaped underwater mountain at the archipelago's west end
Pinnacle
A sunlit chimney climbing through the inside of the rock
Wreck
A wooden boat's cargo left on the seabed after the hull rotted away
A cave running into the rock just below the surface
Wall
A gorgonian wall running from the shore out to open sea
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