Mediterranean · Bulgaria
Sozopol & St. Ivan Island
Black Sea wrecks, a stone forest and spring seahorses off Sozopol
Sozopol is one of the most popular diving destinations in Bulgaria, a Black Sea town where the diving is short boat rides from the port and entries from the beach. The Pioneer, a fishing boat sunk on purpose beside St. Ivan Island, and the Goat Cave on the island lie close to port. The wrecks of the Chavdar and the Rodina, a stone forest of fossil tree trunks and a shore site where seahorses gather in spring fill out the rest of the coast.
About diving in Sozopol & St. Ivan Island
Boat dives leave from Sozopol port, and the rides are short: about 10 to 15 minutes to the Pioneer, 15 to 20 minutes to the Goat Cave at St. Ivan Island and about 25 minutes to Coral Garden and Cape Kolokita. The Pioneer is dived when the weather suits a boat dive. Several sites start from the beach instead: the lagoon by the town shelves gradually to 7 m, St. Stefan’s Bay is well protected from the north winds and waves, and an underwater chapel with a mermaid statue lies about 30 minutes’ drive south of Sozopol.
The Pioneer has spent long enough on the bottom to be overgrown with mussels, and many wrasses, gobies and blennies live on it while schools of migratory fish pass over. Coral Garden is a living reef that snags any net thrown over it, so it is left alone by local fishermen and marine life is plentiful there. The stone forest is proof that this seabed was once land, and another reef off Sozopol is made entirely of agglutinated mussel shells.
Beginners are well served. Seahorse Alley is entered from a sandy beach, so nobody has to walk over rocks with the equipment on, and the lagoon by the town is one of the best places for beginners and for Open Water training. The Unknown Steam Shipwreck is shallow enough for a first dive with no experience at all. The Seal Cave, reached only by boat, suits underwater photography and cave diving training as well as relaxed dives. The Rodina wreck asks more: at 40 m it is for experienced divers only.
Best time to dive Sozopol & St. Ivan Island
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
From December through April the sea off Sozopol feels very cold, with February the coldest month at about 7 °C (45 °F). Seahorses arrive in the shallows in April, and May, when the water still feels cool, is the middle of their stay. In June and July the last seahorses, which stay to about mid June at one site and into July at another, meet water that feels quite warm. August is the warmest month at about 25 °C (77 °F), September still feels quite warm, October turns cool again and November cold.
Dive types & marine life
Seahorses are the main animal draw. They are plentiful in the shallows of Seahorse Alley from April to about mid June, and a second site is a gathering place for them from May to July.
- Wreck
- Cave & cavern
- Reef
Best dive sites in Sozopol & St. Ivan Island
- 1
Pioneer
A 30 m fishing boat sunk on purpose beside St. Ivan Island, now lying at 18 m.
- 2
Goat Cave
A true cavern at St. Ivan Island, to 15 m and open to Open Water divers.
- 3
Rodina
A 6510 t cargo ship that struck a mine in 1941; it lies at 40 m, for experienced divers only.
- 4
Chavdar
A wreck turned artificial reef, dived among the ship’s structures down to 27 m.
- 5
Underwater Stone Forest
Huge tree trunks turned to stone, sticking out of the sandy floor at 20 m.
- 6
Seal Cave
A cave in the Ropotamo reserve, entered at 14 m through a tunnel one diver wide.
- 7
Coral Garden
A reef about 25 minutes by boat from Sozopol port, to 18 m.
Site guides
Wreck
A 1964 fishing vessel sunk off Sozopol as an artificial reef
Reef
A living reef that fishing nets cannot work
A cavern at St. Ivan Island open to Open Water divers
Wreck
A fishing boat scuttled beside St. Ivan Island, now coated in mussels
Wreck
A 1941 mine casualty, one of Bulgaria's best-known wrecks
Cave & cavern
A one-diver-wide tunnel into a cave in the Ropotamo reserve
Fossil tree trunks standing out of the sand off Sozopol
How to get to Sozopol & St. Ivan Island
Burgas Airport serves Burgas and the seaside resorts of the southern Bulgarian coast. From Burgas it is a 35 km (22 mi) drive to Sozopol, where boat dives leave from the port.
Questions divers ask
What certification do the Sozopol sites need?+
Open Water covers the Pioneer, the Goat Cave and the Seal Cave. The stone forest needs Advanced as a boat dive, while the beach entry to the Underwater Stone Forest, to 17 m, takes Open Water divers. The Chavdar wreck needs Advanced Open Water.
Where are seahorses seen at Sozopol?+
In Seahorse Alley, entered from the corner of Harmani beach or from the lagoon next to it. It is no deeper than 7 m and suits people who just want to try scuba diving.
Which Sozopol sites are boat dives and which are shore dives?+
The Pioneer, the Goat Cave, Coral Garden, Cape Kolokita, the mussel reef and the Seal Cave are boat dives. The lagoon, Seahorse Alley, St. Stefan’s Bay and the underwater chapel are entered from shore.
Sources
- Dive sites near Sozopol Bulgaria — Sozopol Diving Center
- Diving spots — Sub Diving
- Sozopol average sea temperature — SeaTemperature.org
- Sozopol — Wikivoyage
- Burgas Airport — Wikipedia
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