Kvarner — Cres, Krk & Lošinj, the area around Travnica

Kvarner · Croatia · Wall · Sand slope

Travnica

Seahorses on the sand in 3 to 10 m, then a wall from 10 to 40 m

Area photo: Nem80 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Travnica on Cres pairs a sandy shallow area in 3 to 10 m with a steep wall from 10 to 40 m, so beginners and advanced divers dive it from the same boat. The sand is where seahorses turn up; the wall holds conger, octopus, lobster, spider crabs, leopard snails, flabellina and other nudibranchs, shrimps and schools of fish. It is 25 to 30 minutes by boat from the dive centre.

Also known as Travnica, Cres.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Travnica: typical dive 3–40 m (10–130 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit3 m40 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

44.9088° N, 14.3692° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

The boat run is 25 to 30 minutes from the diving centre. The site has two parts, and the dive is planned around which one suits the diver. The sandy shallow area lies in 3 to 10 m, and it is worth a slow search rather than a swim-through: the operator lists a chance of seahorses on this sand, and they are not something you will see at speed.

Beyond the sand the wall starts at 10 m and drops steeply to 40 m. Advanced divers pick a depth and follow it, looking into holes for conger, octopus and lobster and at the rock for spider crabs, leopard snails, flabellina and other nudibranchs and shrimps, with schools of fish over the face. Beginners can stay on the upper wall and the sand and still see much of the list.

Whichever profile you ran, the dive finishes back on the sandy shallows at 3 to 10 m, which double as the safety-stop zone and a second chance at the seahorses before you surface to the boat. Go in with a plan to spend real time on the sand rather than treating it as the way to the wall.

Marine life and season

  • Nudibranchs
  • Octopus & cuttlefish
  • Macro critters
  • Reef fish swarms
Month-by-month season rating for Travnica
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairOff-season

Season follows Kvarner: Peak season is May to September and conditions hold into October; from winter into early spring the bora churns the water and brings current, with the sea at 12–14 °C.

Questions divers ask

Can beginners dive Travnica?+

Yes. The operator lists it for beginners and advanced divers: the sandy shallows in 3 to 10 m suit newer divers, while the wall from 10 to 40 m is for divers with deep training.

Sources

  1. Travnica, Cres — Scubago — Scubago

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