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
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
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-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
- Erica Gorgonians - Scubago — Scubago
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