Paros & Naxos · Greece · Wall
Jacquarium
The area's big fish: barracuda and amberjack schools off a wall from 10 to 40 m
Area photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jacquarium is a drop-off off the coast of Panteronisi, beyond the Blue Lagoon and 10 to 15 minutes by boat from Aliki. It starts from a plateau at 10 m and falls to 40 m and more, and it is where the biggest fish in the area are seen: big schools of barracuda and amberjack in the water, with dentex and large dusky and golden groupers on the bottom. The operator lists it as an Advanced dive.
Where it is and how deep
36.9707° N, 25.1063° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The boat ride from Aliki is 10 to 15 minutes, past the Blue Lagoon to the coast of Panteronisi. Descend to the plateau at 10 m, which is the shallow reference for the whole dive, and move to the edge, where the rock drops away as a wall to 40 m and beyond. The operator lists the site as Advanced and 40 m as its maximum, so the depth for the deep leg is agreed before you go over the edge.
Along the drop-off the dive is about the fish rather than the rock. Big schools of barracuda and amberjack hold in the open water off the wall, and on the bottom there are dentex and big dusky and golden groupers. Stay off the wall and watch the blue, then work back up to the plateau at 10 m for the end of the dive and the ascent to the boat.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Paros & Naxos: The Naxos centre opens mid-April to early November. The meltemi blows mid-May to mid-September, most constant in July and August, when boats keep to moorings sheltered from the north wind.
Know before you go
- The wall drops to 40 m and beyond; set a hard maximum depth on the boat and hold it.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Jacquarium?+
It starts from a plateau at 10 m and drops to 40 m and beyond. The operator lists 40 m as the maximum and the site as Advanced.
What fish are at Jacquarium?+
Big schools of barracuda and amberjack in the water, and dentex with big dusky and golden groupers on the bottom; it is known as the site for the area's largest fish.
Sources
- Jacquarium — Scubago
- Les meilleurs sites de plongée de Paros — Cycladic Diving
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