Montenegro

It's May again and we're diving in the Adriatic again. This is a new destination for us, se we would like to see more of Montenegro (Crna Gora) above and under water...

Wreck treks: Patrol Boat

It's quite typical to sink boats as diving attractions, this small boat lies near Alanya. The locals call this artificial reef simply New Wreck or Yenibatik in Turkish. Not the most exciting wreck I've ever seen but it's easy to dive - unless you have some problems equalizing.

We booked our daytrip in Alanya but the extremely cold A/C of our hotel room caused some problems. The first dive from the spacious boat was OK, the really warm water in August was nicer than I expected. We saw some octopus and crabs but I felt my ears didn't work perfectly. Our next dive site was the wreck where we needed to descend directly to 20 meters from the surface. My buddy and me weren't able to go down so the group left us behind. When they came back (their bottom time wasn't too long), our dive leader, a very experienced former navy diver with some pressing movements around my ears made me to equalize. So we descended and I spent a few minutes near the wreck.

The maximum depth was around 30 meters. The boat was a former patrol boat which was in nice condition and we could penetrate. There were some artificial amphoras around as well. I didn't see too much life except when a shoal of barracuda swam near the wreck. We finished the dive but for the next few days I had to forgot every dive because of my ears. Anyway, I dived this artificial reef and I learned they try to attract more divers even to Turkey. Alanya is a typical holiday destinations but it seems even there they expect more and more underwater explorers. This small and not too special wreck is just enough if somebody plan a nice and relaxing day in the sea during a family holiday but those who want really exciting adventures will choose another dive destinations.

Nemo reloaded

Last weekend we went to Bruxelles (Brussels) again and dived in the huge pool of Nemo 33. As we chose the Friday noon diving session there were only 8 divers. So we had the chance to spend more time with the new attraction: the underwater car. A nice Smart waits the divers now, it was fun to swim around and go inside. The deep part and the "caverns" are still the same. And as usual, we enjoyed the nice, warm, clear water...

Fishing Under Ice

I think nowadays every diver talks about this stunning short movie made by some crazy Finnish divers. Great work, if you haven't seen it yet, watch it! It's funny, entertaining and brilliant. (And I recommend to share the original video uploaded by the creators.)

A special kind of fish soup

When yesterday I wrote about fish food and some exciting fish soups I realized I dived a place where I encountered living fish soup. It happened in Gran Canaria of Canary Islands. As we descended to the Pasito Blanco it seemed the bottom is flowing and moving but when we swam closer I saw thousands of fish. It was one of my most incredible diving experiences! It's a protected area so those fish won't be cooked hopefully. I don't care if I had to eat something else but has the chance to see this shoal of fish someday again...

The most beautiful ray

No, not the manta ray for me. The most special ray I ever encountered is the wonderful butterfly ray.

I saw the first one near Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands. I caught sight of a wide animal in the depth which swam smoothly away. I asked the DM who said it was a common butterfly ray. Later I saw more of them in Gran Canaria. They slept in the daytime but after we went too close they swam away with an unbeatable elegance. It simply glided a few inches above the bottom with a marble-like pattern skin. I know the huge manta is a wonder in itself, but the butterfly ray is different, it's so incredible, so special. There Canary Islands are like a ray sanctuary, I saw here devil rays, eagle rays, common skates and those wonderful animals I mentioned above. I can't get tired of them...

The deepest

Belgium is famous of its charming towns (for example Liege, Bruges, Leuven), good beers (my favorites: Hoegarden, Bellevue kriek, Duvel, Leffe) and political chaos. The capital is the administrative center of the European Union and it is a fairly typical place in the country. First of all, it has a French (Bruxelles) and Flemish (Brussels) name but dozens of other nations has representatives here: the EU officials came from the 27 member countries and there are many immigrants. The city with its historical buildings is always full of tourists and there are districts which more similar to an Egyptian town than a European with Arabic shops and restaurants. A long weekend in Bruxelles offers mixed adventures for the traveler except diving- at least most of the visitors don't think about diving in such a landlocked town.

But they make a mistake when skip the googling of "dive" and "Bruxelles" words. One of the suburbs hides a dull grey building where they made the deepest recreational diving pool. The Nemo33 is 33 meters deep and its water is around 30 Celsius degrees warm. You may think to travel to a distant country and do a pool dive there isn't a good idea but in my opinion it's a nice program. Everything is well organized: the price of a dive is 22 euros and the full kit hire (except computer) is included. You can bring your mask and computer, and choose a BC, a regulator, a pair of fins from the selection of the Nemo33. There are plenty of them in every size. What to do in the pool? There are deeper and shallower parts, you can swim around, touch the bottom at 33 meters, practice, anything you'd do in a pool. However it's more exciting, I felt the depth more than in open water. This part is narrow, the surface seems only a small circle if you glance above. I didn't spend too much time in the bottom. The descending and ascending near the long ladder was like a long meditation. After the dive we use to have a good meal in the restaurant of the Nemo33- the food is awesome. There are windows in the pool where you can watch the divers while you are eating or having a beer.

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Remembering the first

After several lake dives I had the chance to do my first saltwater dive in 2001. I was quite excited and it's still a nice memory but the most important experience was to realize how different can be the reality from the expectations.

We traveled to Rhodes and saw many wonderful places above water but my main goal was to organize THE dive. I browsed some websites but they weren't too informative. We went to the harbor and booked the daytrip. The boat seemed quite large, we thought it would be very comfortable. Next day we arrived early and enjoyed sunbathing on the huge upper deck. In a few minutes more guests arrived. Later came another group. And again. The big boat became full of divers and first time intro makers soon, it wasn't easy to find a place amongst the dozens of tourists.

The boat ride was short. Later I discovered in those years in Rhodes there was only one bay where they allowed scuba diving. So there were another boats full of divers near Kalithea. The place of preparing looked like a dive equipment store, there were piles of tanks and fins, people walked around, divers jumped into the water while others came back. It meant we didn't have the chance to see too much animals in this crowded spot. But the water was nice warm, a shorty was enough so I tried to enjoy the first salt water dive. And it was really nice! There were shallow caverns, I tried to swim carefully, later we swam into a larger hole where we were able to surface.

Between the dives my girlfriend had her first intro dives. I just looked the chaotic way as they organized the first time scuba adventures of the tourists. It was really surprising to see this kind of operation. We certified divers got the briefing but there wasn't real buddy system, we simply followed the leader. We did the same during the second dive: I saw only "exciting" field of grass until the guide found an octopus, it the was the first one I've ever seen under water. Something to remember.

What else? Well, a traveling diver needs more information. It's essential to learn about the dive spots- in the whole island of Rhodes there was only one which resulted the daytrip was my first and last one during the holiday. Whatever the dive center's homepage says try to find reports from the past customers. A huge boat is nice but if it's overcrowded your trip will be anything but comfortable.

We always remember our "firsts": the first breath under water, the first saltwater dive, the first octopus and so on. The difference between our first experiences can be decisive. I liked the first dive in the sea, but I didn't like the way as the dive center worked. I think I was lucky: although there were problems basically I enjoyed being under water. I learned what do I want to do and how do I want to organize it. I drew a lesson from a single day. Fairly typical in the life of the beginner diver, am I right?

Guideology: Ellen

I had some of my most challenging shore dives in Gran Canaria. The Atlantic made our entries and exits like a wobbling and falling stunt from a silent era physical comedy. It was funny for those who watched the scene and humiliating for us. We learnt to adore the sea when we saw its wonders but after some fights against waves and currents we started to respect its strength too.

Some of the dive spots seemed rough for the first sight in Gran Canaria. And there were those which seemed safer and calmer. Our guides from the Dive Academy always took care of us because the situation could be changed faster than we expected. I remember a dive when the boss, the cheerful Ellen led us. The entry was a simple giant stride near Sardina del Norte but when we finished the dive we saw the low tide was coming and the lowest stair seemed a bit high for a comfortable getting out of the water. Ellen said 'Don't worry, I'll exit first' and she raised as easily as a ballet dancer. She stood near the water and with the tank on her back she pulled us one by one. She gave a hand whenever the divers crawled on the rocks while waves were assaulting them.

Sometimes when I see an awkward dive leader I think about our 'human elevator', Ellen. Anybody would be able to lead a dive in a tropical sea near a shallow coral garden where nothing occurs. But a real pro has to be able to solve all the problems. Sometimes they have to use their physical skills- if they have any. Ellen was simply fantastic. She helped us when we booked an accommodation. She found animals like angel shark for us under water. She pulled us from the sea. And anything she did we always saw the smile on her face... This must be a special skill too.

A cave to remember

Somehow Greece isn't recognized as a real dive destination. Maybe some of the divers don't think it's possible to find good dive spots in the shores occupied by holidaymakers. Sometimes it's disappointing to join organized daytrips when you share the dive boat with dozens of intro divers. However some dive centers offer great service in my opinion. The most challenging thing is to choose the right one. Look for those dive centers which concentrate on real divers' needs. Read and ask about the dive spots in advance to find the most exciting ones.

I remember our trip to Corfu where we had some average or nice dives and a wonderful one. The reviews said the Paleokastritsa area is the best for diving so I booked an accommodation there. We made a good decision! We found a reliable dive center and had a nice time. The fantastic Himmesloch cavern (other dive centers call it as Hole of Ha) was one of the most spectacular caverns I ever dived in the Mediterranean. There is a huge hole at 10 meters depth where the divers swim into the cave and they soon reach the shimmering light curtain. The cave has a hole on the top and when the divers ascend they see the trees above. A really nice place suitable even for beginner divers. Another less known dive spot in Europe which absolutely worth visiting. (And we enjoyed the whole island of Corfu too, for me it was a trip of a lifetime to see the places which appear in Gerald Durrell's awesome books.)

When I thought about this place I browsed my old photos I took in Corfu in 2005. For my surprise there were some short videos too. The quality isn't that fantastic but I edited them into a short movie about this cavern and I'm sure every viewer will feel how nice is it.

The story behind a book cover

I met Winnie in Kalymnos. This Greek island is not that famous like Crete, Corfu or Santorini but it has the same azure sea on its shore. There aren't that much tourists but you won't miss any. As everywhere I go, I looked for diving possibilities and had the chance to join a nice lady from Hong Kong. She went to Kalymnos for climbing but as a certified diver wanted to see the underwater world of the Aegean sea too so she became my buddy. Because there aren't too much guests our dive group consisted of our guide from Finland, Winnie the diver from HK and me. I liked our small international group who dived together in Greece... I'm used to dive in much colder waters than the Aegean so I enjoyed my time here but she was freezing. I remember when she sat in the boat after the dive and tried to collect as much of the warming sunlight as she can.

Anyway we had some dives there. I brought my camera as usual and Winnie was my underwater model. She is one of those nice buddies who happily help when I take photos. The only payment I can give to them is the collection of the best pictures. Without them my work would be much harder and the result would be much less satisfying so I'm really grateful for every moment when somebody pose before the lens of my camera. After the trip I browse the photos to find the best ones. I post them to our website or to the Facebook, I share them with my buddies but I never know if I will use any someday. After our dives in Kalymnos I especially liked a photo where Winnie was in a cavern and only some light from above covered her figure and her bubbles. I knew I needed to modify the picture's contrast to make it more dramatic. However I sent the original one to her to show. I still like this photo although it's far from perfect.

A few years later I wrote my first novel. It was a special project for me, as I wasn't only the writer but the publisher and editor too. I organized the printing and I designed the book cover. It's a scuba diving crime story and when I thought about which picture to choose I realized the portrait of Winnie would be cool after extensive modifications. I made it and I asked her to kindly give me the permission to use it. She did it and after a few weeks I proudly held my first published book in my hands. My friends asked me who is the model in the cover and I surprised everyone when I said she is my buddy and my friend from Hong Kong. I think she was really proud to be on the cover. I'm still sad because she couldn't read the Hungarian language book. Maybe someday we will meet and dive together again and later I can tell the story of the novel. That's all in this photo: when I see it I call up its making. A dive in a charming island, a buddy and another story from my diving past to remember...

Send me an Angel

If I talk about sharks everybody imagine big, torpedo shaped fast predators with huge teeth. Some people maybe think about the large plankton feeding whale sharks or basking sharks. But only the minority knows about a quite flat shark which lay on the bottom covered in sand during daytime. The angel shark is a strange fish, and I'm one of the lucky divers who saw them in their natural habitat. If you find the hiding angel shark be careful and you can even touch it. These guys aren't too nervous, but as every predator, it can be dangerous if you attack or disturb it aggressively. Its swimming looks like wriggling.

The angel shark encounters were really special for me but most of the divers never meet any. Although it was common in Europe a few decades ago now it's officially critically endangered. I dived many places in the Mediterranean and haven't seen any but I know a European country where plenty of angel sharks live. This is a well kept secret of the Canary Islands which belong to Spain (and geographically to Africa): the eastern islands are famous about their angel sharks. For example in Lanzarote I dived in the night with a baby angel shark. But especially in Gran Canaria the northern dive spots like Sardina del Norte or Caleta Baja are recommended for those who want to see these unusual sharks. They live in the shallow, sandy bottom and it seems they only wait for the divers. First you see an angel shark shaped silhouette in the sand and when you swim closer you can see it's the shark itself. You can touch carefully its fins, see the eyes and try to make some photos. When it's covered the photos will be everything but spectacular. These animals looks much better on the moving pictures so I embed a film which I took a few years ago.

Wreck treks: HMS Maori

It happened seven decades ago. A Tribal-class destroyer was mooring in the Malta Grand Harbour when a German aircraft attacked and sank it. It's not too extraordinary to dive a boat's wreck which sank during the WW II but the HMS Maori was in the fleet which chased and sank the Bismarck in 1941. It was one of the boats which rescued the few survivors. The wreck was in the harbor of Valletta and blocked the traffic of the boats. They raised and scuttled it, later it was sank close to the shore.

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It's fresh

I think there are a lot of people in the world who hasn't ever dived in fresh water. There are a lot of people who live as close to the sea as I to the local quarries. Many divers think freshwater diving is the ugly, disappointed stepbrother of ocean diving. They say it's a cheap but much worse substitute of the real diving for those who live far away from the warm tropical seashores. (It's a typical situation, by the way.) And there is a handful divers who deeply adore lakes, freshwater caves and never travel to exotic destinations.

The truth is somewhere in the middle. Yes, there are awful, murky lakes where you can be certified but it takes some time until you forgot the bad experience. I had my first open water dives in a nearby quarry, the visibility was 1-2 meters, and because we were absolute beginners it became worse in 2 minutes. My instructor couldn't see my face so he checked my mask removing by touching my face- if there wasn't a mask, I did it. Later I had dives in other lakes, some of them was better, some of them was boring and tiring. In a few dozen dives you learn the basics of the navigation and you'll be able to find the crabs and fish so normally every freshwater dive seems enjoyable.

But there are some differences. As I started exploring in the neighboring country I found the Austrian lakes much more exciting. The many fish of the Erlaufsee, the pikes of the Neufeldersee, the 40 meters visibility of the ice cold Grüner See was as stunning experience as a dive in the Hurghada area of Red Sea. I go to Austria because I love to dive there not because I don't have the chance to travel to Egypt. I'm proud to be the first amongst my friends who dived these waters on my own and shared my adventures. Since then many Hungarians visited those lakes which I reviewed in our website. There must be many more great freshwater dive spots in Europe (and even more in the World!) which worth visiting. I recommend to start exploring those lakes and rivers and find the hidden gems. I promise I'll write about my favorite ones in this blog too.

Moving pictures: September destinations

Well, I collected a few nice videos to show how many interesting destinations wait the divers in the early autumn in Europe...

One of the great movies from Rafa Herrero who is inspired by the wonderful underwater world of the Canary Islands- I know, geographically it doesn't belong to Europe but as a region of Spain I can travel there easily.


The exciting dive spot of Crete is a WWII wreck of a Messerschmitt Me-109 fighter plane.


Highlights of the Bodrum peninsula in Turkey.


One of the well kept secrets in the Mediterranean is the Medes Islands. This protected area in Southern Spain has abundant flora and fauna.


In my opinion the Black Sea has more undiscovered wrecks than the other European seas. There were less divers so they found less ships under water, that is reason why we hear regularly about exciting findings from Ukraine, Romania or Bulgaria. This video shows an UB I-type submarine near Varna, Bulgaria which was discovered by BSTD.


A very nice movie about the best dives spots of Gozo island (this tiny island belongs to Malta).

Autumn, dive season

As I live in Europe, September seems the best season for diving. The families and holidaymakers rule the summer and let us conquering the seas in the early Autumn. The water is still warm but the air isn't that hot, it's much more comfortable to wear our wetsuits during boat rides. The accommodations' and sometimes the dives' prices are more attracting, so September is the perfect month for a budget dive trip.

Where to go? I always start browsing last minute offers in August if I want to book a trip to September. Greece was very cheap this year (isn't surprising if you think about their economical problems), and there are Bulgaria, Turkey, Tunisia, Cyprus, Spain, Italy, Malta as well. A week long trip to a 3-4 stars hotel can be as cheap as 300 euros with airfare. Egypt is inviting too. The temperature of the Red Sea is 27-28 degrees, and there are plenty of great liveaboard offers. If I want to do a shorter trip September is great in Croatia and it's perfect for a long weekend to the nearby Austrian freshwater lakes.

This year Croatia was the chosen destination for us but I'm still hesitating if it was a good choice or not because there were so much another possibilities. We had a great time at the Adriatic so I'm not unhappy at all but I'd like to see new places. There are some interesting dive spots in Tunisia which I want to dive someday. I've already heard a lot about the new artificial reefs of Bodrum in Turkey (one of them is a C47 plane), and I have nice memories from my latest trip. Or there is the Black Sea: the visibility is worse, but it'd be something new and different for me at the Bulgarian shoreline. I could mention my old favorite, the Canary Islands with its huge rays, angel sharks, groupers or morays which I haven't met since 2009... And what about a second liveaboard trip this year to Egypt but maybe to the wrecks in the north?

So many choices, so many dreams, so many plans- and only one or two destinations. The ideal season isn't that long because from October the water temperature decreases fast in the Northern Mediterranean and you can expect cold rains as well. In a few days I can forget all my September plans but until then I enjoy planning and virtual diving- maybe it will be useful next autumn...

Wreck treks: Zenobia

Wreck treks: Zenobia

Would you dive a truck wreck? And how about a few dozen trucks- on the deck of a ferry boat?


The wreck of the Zenobia is really extraordinary. If I think about that ship I always wonder on the incredible story of its sinking during the maiden voyage, the incredible dimensions (its length was 178 meters!), the incredible shipment (there are still many of the loaded trucks), the incredible location (only a few minutes from Larnaca). If you look for the 'perfect wreck' you get it when you dive Zenobia.

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And what about the Adriatic?

I'm sure I will write many entries about diving in the Adriatic sea. My reason is simple: I know more about the places where I've already spent more time. I've been to Croatia and Slovenia for a dozen times (I confess I were invited to some dive centers as a journalist but I always will indicate this when mentioning those businesses) from north to south.

But first of all I have to tell I'm a bit surprised to see the growing interest in the diving possibilities of Adriatic- especially Croatia. As a Hungarian to travel to Croatia is a typical choice because our countries have common history and it's quite close to us. Most of the Central European divers do their first salt water dives in the Adriatic. The place where we first meet the magical underwater world- and the place with a fading glory after the next Red Sea or Asian dive trip. Let's make it clear: if you expect swimming in nice warm water amongst shoals of colorful fish and encountering big animals never plan a trip to Adriatic. The water is warmer only in the very shallow, even in a hot August day you'll feel the chill at 20-30 meters depth: 17-19 Celsius degrees. So whenever you travel here, a thick wetsuit is a must, but many seasoned Adriatic divers use drysuit whole year.

A short list of 'are' and 'aren't' things. There are many wrecks, from old amphora to airplane wrecks of the Yugoslav war era. The most famous wrecks are in the north at the Istrian peninsula where diving is expensive but not fun when a lot of divers make worse the bad visibility on a summer day. Other destination for the wreck enthusiasts is the island of Vis but the most interesting ones are suitable only for the technical divers. There are some beautiful caverns as well. There are many hiding animals in the holes or in the grass from the octopus to the seahorse. There aren't pelagic fish. It's highly unusual to see a shark, a tuna, a ray. There aren't colorful coral reefs but there are some spectacular walls covered by yellow and purple gorgonians and sponges. There are many dive centers but you can't expect too cheap dives.

So if you know the specific sites you want to visit or you plan a holiday to Croatia you can do some dives and I'm sure you'll enjoy them if you prepare. I promise I'll make a detailed report about some of my favorite places near the Adriatic to show why I like this sea- and why don't.