Kos & the Kefalos Peninsula · Greece · Reef
The Potteries
Amphora shards, some more than 800 years old, spread over the reef
The Potteries is a shallow rocky reef off Pserimos, the island between Kos and Kalymnos, where hundreds of amphora shards lie scattered across the seabed. It is a very easy dive that ends where the reef meets the sand, and divers come for the mix of history and small reef life hiding among the broken pottery.
Where it is and how deep
36.9428° N, 27.1642° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef runs down to about 12 m, and below that depth it gives way to sand, so the dive stays on the rocks above it. Pottery fragments cover the bottom, and octopus and scorpionfish hide in the rocks and under the shards.
Shoaling sea bream and colourful wrasse move over the reef. Under one rock ledge lives the shy red-and-white striped squirrelfish. The site lies closest of the Pserimos dives to a fish farm, which can bring the odd surprise.
Background
The seabed at The Potteries is covered in hundreds of amphora shards, some of them more than 800 years old. Greek law protects them: removing the pottery fragments from the seabed is forbidden, and so is photographing the amphorae. Divers look at the shards and leave them where they lie, along with the octopus and scorpionfish that shelter beneath them.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Kos & the Kefalos Peninsula: The St. Stefanos base at Kefalos is open daily from 25 April to 5 November, and the sea is warmest in August, near 26 °C.
Questions divers ask
Can the amphorae at The Potteries be photographed?+
No. Greek law forbids both removing the amphora shards and photographing them, so cameras stay on the fish and octopus.
Sources
- Dive Sites in Kos & nearby islands — Liamis Dive Centre
- Kos Island for Scuba Divers: The Best Diving Spots — Astir Odysseus Kos Resort & Spa
More dive sites in Kos & the Kefalos Peninsula
Reef
Volcanic activity of Kos showing itself on the seabed
Cave & cavern
Shallow caverns that keep the whole dive above 12 m
Pinnacle
A pinnacle rising to within 2 m of the surface
Cave & cavern
Schools of barracuda in the blue off a drop-off that falls to around 50 m
Wreck
A loading crane that leads across the wreck to the bridge and propeller
Reef
Nudibranchs and Flabellina affinis grazing on the reef
Similar dives elsewhere
Shallow slabs at 7 m, a site for navigation practice
Black volcanic rock in 3–11 m, with octopus through the holes
Seahorses, cuttlefish and rays in the sand and posidonia at 12 m
Two sea-carved amphitheatres joined over the top of a wall