Sozopol & St. Ivan Island · Bulgaria · Cave & cavern
Seal Cave
A one-diver-wide tunnel into a cave in the Ropotamo reserve
Seal Cave lies at Maslen Nos inside the Ropotamo nature reserve south of Sozopol, a hard-to-reach stretch of coast where the only way in is by boat. It is one of the most popular dive sites in Bulgaria, a cave entered from the open sea through a narrow tunnel.
Also known as Seal Cave – Maslen Nos.
Where it is and how deep
42.3142° N, 27.7792° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The entry from the sea is at 14 m. From there divers pass one at a time through a narrow tunnel in the upper part of the cave's bottom, with room for only a single diver, to reach the cave itself.
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.
Know before you go
- The access tunnel has room for only one diver at a time, so the group passes in single file.
Sources
- Diving spots – Sub Diving Sozopol — Sub Diving
More dive sites in Sozopol & St. Ivan Island
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
Fossil tree trunks standing out of the sand off Sozopol
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