Halkidiki — Sithonia, the area around Erica Gorgonians

Halkidiki · Greece · Reef · Coral garden

Erica Gorgonians

A reef fully draped in gorgonians from 27 m down

Area photo: id.nfero · CC BY-SA 3.0

A Deep Diver site that begins at 27 m and plunges to depths of up to 90 m, with the reef fully draped in dense gorgonians. Combers, parrotfish and many groupers live among the fans, and the operator notes excellent visibility, which is what lets you see the gorgonian carpet stretching away below the planned depth.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Erica Gorgonians: typical dive 27–90 m (90–295 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit27 m90 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 110 m (361 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

39.9437° N, 23.9587° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

Erica Gorgonians begins deep. The site starts at 27 m, so the descent is a straight drop through open water to the top of the reef, and from the first moment you are inside a Deep Diver profile. What you land on is a reef fully draped in dense gorgonians, fans covering the rock in the way the operator calls a natural tapestry, and that carpet continues downward as the reef falls away beneath you.

The reef plunges to depths of up to 90 m, far below anything recreational, so the dive is a traverse along the gorgonian face at the planned depth rather than a descent to a bottom. The area is described as teeming with combers and parrotfish, with many groupers among the fans, and the operator notes excellent visibility, which on a site that starts at 27 m means the fans below the planned depth are visible even if they are not visited. The ascent is back up into blue water, with the stops the profile requires.

Marine life and season

  • Groupers
Month-by-month season rating for Erica Gorgonians
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodOff-seasonOff-season

Season follows Halkidiki: Boat trips and Try Scuba run April to October; courses are sold year-round, but the sea sits around 14 °C from January to March.

Know before you go

  • Depth: the top of the reef is at 27 m and the rock continues to 90 m; set a maximum and a turn pressure before descending, as there is no shallow section to retreat to.

Questions divers ask

How deep is Erica Gorgonians?+

The site begins at 27 m and plunges to depths of up to 90 m. The operator rates it Deep Diver; the recreational part of the dive is the top of the gorgonian reef.

Sources

  1. Erica Gorgonians - Scubago — Scubago

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