Istria · Croatia · Cave & cavern · Reef
Fraskerić Cave
Limestone tunnels, the first passed one diver at a time
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
The dive off the northern side of Fraskerić island is built around tunnels cut through the limestone. A sandy slope leads to the first, which divers pass one at a time, and then to a second wide enough to swim through in pairs; the resident Pula operator counts four caves across the site. Depths run from 4 to 25 metres, so it is a long dive rather than a deep one.
Also known as Fraskeric Cave, Reef Fraskerić, Frasker.
Where it is and how deep
44.8235° N, 13.8407° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
You drop onto a sandy slope on the north side of the island and follow it down towards the first tunnel, which is passed individually, one diver at a time in an order agreed on the surface. The second comes soon after and is wide enough to swim through in pairs. Between and around them the limestone is cut into fissures and crevices, and the operator counts four caves in all across the site.
The walls are the reason to slow down. Bryozoans, corals and sea anemones grow over them, and seahorses, crabs, scorpionfish and brown meagres sit back in the cracks. The profile runs from 25 metres at the deep end up to about 4 at the shallow one, so the return along the rock is long and unhurried, and the last stretch of it is where the light is best.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Istria: The main season runs 1 May to 31 October; the sea passes 20°C from mid-June to September, and a few sites are diveable only outside the high season.
Know before you go
- The first tunnel takes one diver at a time and the second takes two, so set the order before anyone enters and hold position clear of the opening rather than crowding it.
- A careless fin in a passage this size fills it with silt for everyone behind. Swim the tunnels with a high flutter or a frog kick and keep off the floor.
Sources
- Fraskeric Cave — Scubago
- Reef Fraskeric — Diving Pula
More dive sites in Istria
Wreck
A 40 m cargo wreck on the sand off the San Giovanni light
Yellow anemones and sponges on the Sv. Ivan north wall
Reef
Freshwater springs in the shallows at the Lim Channel mouth
Wall
A 200 m wall under sponges, bryozoans and soft corals
Reef
A ridge run south to 20 m with fish in numbers
Wreck
Croatia's first ship sunk on purpose for divers
Cave & cavern
Shallow caves at 3 to 8 m inside Kamenjak Nature Park
Reef
A terraced plateau reef that few boats visit
Similar dives elsewhere
A cave below the Eden Roc hotel, wide enough to swim through
Cave & cavern
Big Cave
Kemer & Tekirova · Turkey
Surfacing inside the rock among stalactites and stalagmites
Barracuda at the cave corner and an open chamber to surface in, off-season
A tunnel descent from 14 m down to 22 m past small pinnacles