Zakynthos · Greece · Reef · Wall · Cave & cavern
Octopus Reef
A rocky slope, a long wall and a tiny cave to finish
Area photo: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK · CC BY 2.0
Octopus Reef is a relaxed one-way tour on the Keri coast: the boat anchors close to shore in about 10 m, a rocky slope leads out with depth to spare below, and a wall brings you back past the boat to a tiny cave with a big entrance. Lobsters and the namesake octopus supply the sightings.
Also known as Oktopus, Schwefelwand.
Where it is and how deep
37.6632° N, 20.8595° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The boat anchors close to shore with about 10 m of water beneath it. The dive follows a rocky slope kept on your right shoulder, with the freedom to vary depth as you go — the listed average is 12 m against a maximum of 40 m — and after about 15 minutes you turn and pick up a wall on your left for the second half.
The wall leads back past the anchoring position and carries on until you find a tiny but very pretty cave with a big entrance, the natural full stop of the dive before you head up. Spanish lobsters and spiny lobsters are good bets along the way, and the site earns its name with octopus. Current is rated low, under a knot, and visibility 10 to 30 m.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Macro critters
| 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 Zakynthos: Dive centres run trips May to October; the warmest water and calmest conditions come in summer, and the sea stays above 20°C into November.
Sources
- wannadive.net — Octopus Reef — wannadive.net
- Turtle Beach Diving Center — Diving Places — Diving Center Turtle Beach
- scubago — Schwefelwand — scubago.com
More dive sites in Zakynthos
Pinnacle
The locals say its better name would be moray eel reef
Cave & cavern
The exit opening is shaped like a huge butterfly
Wall
An old fishing net at 30 m is now a colony of peacock worms
A milky sulphur layer floats inside the second cavern
Reef
Canyons to explore in the shallows, with no current
Wall
An 18 m average over a 40 m bottom, with no current
Octopus holes on the slope and lobsters on the drop-off
A jackfish school works the back of a rock inside the marine park
Similar dives elsewhere
A swim-through cave at 12 m beside the mooring
Reefs, caves and drop-offs from 5 m to 50 m by the research station
Stepped platforms, a chimney-tunnel and gorgonian walls
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The park's best-known walls, and a cave with an air pocket