Sozopol & St. Ivan Island · Bulgaria · Reef
Coral Garden
A living reef that fishing nets cannot work
Coral Garden is a living reef off Sozopol whose bottom snags any fishing net thrown over it, so local fishermen leave the area alone. It is also known as Ivan’s Maldives, and the reef lies about 25 minutes by boat from the port of Sozopol.
Also known as Ivan’s Maldives.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Sozopol & St. Ivan Island and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The dive explores a living reef bottom that reaches a maximum of 18 m. Because nets snag on it, this patch of seabed is left alone by local fishermen, and marine life is plentiful across the reef.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Sozopol & St. Ivan Island: June and July pair water that feels quite warm with the last of the seahorses; the sea stays quite warm into September and feels very cold from December to April.
Sources
- Dive sites near Sozopol, Bulgaria — Sozopol Diving Center
More dive sites in Sozopol & St. Ivan Island
Wreck
A 1964 fishing vessel sunk off Sozopol as an artificial reef
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
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