Kalkan · Turkey · Wall
Snake Island
Barracuda along a deep wall at the island's south tip
An islet off Kalkan, known in Turkish as Yılan Adası, with two quite different dives at either end. The north tip is shallow enough for novices, while the south tip drops away as a deep wall that draws barracuda and grouper and is kept for advanced divers.
Also known as Yılan Adası, Yilan Adasi, Snake.
Where it is and how deep
36.2142° N, 29.3534° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Beginners stay in the shallows at the north tip of the island. More advanced divers are taken to the south tip, where a dramatic wall runs between 20 m and 50 m and is alive with barracuda, grouper and myriad smaller fish.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Groupers
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Kalkan: The sea warms abruptly in late May or early June and stays warm into November; winter water drops to about 16 °C.
Questions divers ask
Can beginners dive Snake Island?+
Yes, in the shallows at the north tip of the island. The wall at the south tip, between 20 m and 50 m, is for more advanced divers.
Sources
- Kalkan and around — Rough Guides
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap
More dive sites in Kalkan
Reef
A short tunnel squeeze through the reef
Reef
Lycian and Ottoman anchors among broken amphora
Wreck
Teak decking and intact winches on a 1940s wreck in three pieces
Similar dives elsewhere
Vertical walls to 50 m with barracuda schools and hunting amberjack
Barracuda shoal at 15–25 m on a wall dropping to 50 m
Gorgonian-lined clefts on a ridge shaped like an upturned hull
Probably the finest red coral colony in the reserve