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CROATIA- the diving paradise of the Adriatic Sea
CROATIA
Croatia is one of the best diving destinations in Europe, thanks to its wonderful visibility and diverse marine ecosystem. The waters around Croatia are said to be some of the clearest in the world, making this a very popular area for diving photography. This part of the Adriatic offers divers underwater cliff faces, reefs, caves and an impressive selection of wrecks. The best diving opportunities in Croatia are found around the southern parts of the coast, and around the plentiful Croatian islands. The waters in these areas tend to be deeper, which encourages a more varied and interesting selection of fish. The coastline has lots of underwater caves, and cave diving in Croatia is excellent. There is a good selection of wrecks of all ages for divers to explore. There are also a few reefs to dive, though they tend to be deeper, and therefore suited to more experienced divers. Diving in Croatia is a very safe sport, thanks to the gentle tides and lack of strong currents. The sea creatures are not aggressive and the dives do not tend to be deeper than 40 metres, so nervous divers needn’t worry.
There are over 100 diving clubs in Croatia, with the largest concentration being found in Istria and Kvarner. The dive schools offer a full range of courses to suit all abilities. The prime diving season in Croatia is from May to November, but it is possible to dive all year round in certain areas. The sea temperature is usually around 25˚C in summer, but can drop to 11˚C in the winter. It is worth noting that diving here is heavily regulated, and visitors on diving holidays to Croatia will need to obtain the HRS Divers Card (a diving permit), certification and insurance before they are allowed to dive. The Croatian diving permit can be bought from local diving centres and is valid for a year. Some diving locations in Croatia, such as the Kornati National Park and the Mljet National Park require divers to have a special additional permit, which can also be organized by nearby dive shops. Diving is not allowed in harbours, anchorages, areas of heavy traffic and some national parks.
Croatia Highlights
Istria may have water that is not as clear as in other parts of Croatia for diving. But what it lacks in clarity, it more than makes up for with its shipwrecks. One of the best known shipwrecks of the Adriatic is found here- the Baron Gautsch. The passenger boat sank in 1914, and to this day has been well preserved in its watery grave. Divers can get right into the interior of the wreck, which has become home to algae, sponges, coral and lots of fish. The upper deck lies at 28 metres, and the lower deck is at 42 metres, therefore this dive is only suited to advanced divers.
The area around Cres and Losinj in the Adriatic is one of the prettiest parts of Croatia. The sea clarity is exceptional, and there is a diverse selection of marine life. There are shallow reefs, suitable for beginner divers, as well as underwater caves. Divers are likely to see playful dolphins around these islands.
The Kornati National Park is extremely popular with divers in Croatia. The area has a huge range of types of dive site, including steep walls, underwater caves, crevices and passages. There is a lot of marine life for divers to enjoy in these waters. There are various archaeological sites, cliffs and sunken reefs, and there are still many undiscovered shipwrecks hidden in the deep underwater depressions. There are some beautiful corals and sponges, and many schools of fish have made this region their home. There are hundreds of small islands to discover with caves, canyons, bright gorgonias and even an underwater botanical and zoological garden created by local ecology students. Kasela Island has a series of spires created by tectonic disturbances, which provide an unforgettable diving experience.
Croatia is one of the best diving destinations in Europe, thanks to its wonderful visibility and diverse marine ecosystem. The waters around Croatia are said to be some of the clearest in the world, making this a very popular area for diving photography. This part of the Adriatic offers divers underwater cliff faces, reefs, caves and an impressive selection of wrecks. The best diving opportunities in Croatia are found around the southern parts of the coast, and around the plentiful Croatian islands. The waters in these areas tend to be deeper, which encourages a more varied and interesting selection of fish. The coastline has lots of underwater caves, and cave diving in Croatia is excellent. There is a good selection of wrecks of all ages for divers to explore. There are also a few reefs to dive, though they tend to be deeper, and therefore suited to more experienced divers. Diving in Croatia is a very safe sport, thanks to the gentle tides and lack of strong currents. The sea creatures are not aggressive and the dives do not tend to be deeper than 40 metres, so nervous divers needn’t worry.
There are over 100 diving clubs in Croatia, with the largest concentration being found in Istria and Kvarner. The dive schools offer a full range of courses to suit all abilities. The prime diving season in Croatia is from May to November, but it is possible to dive all year round in certain areas. The sea temperature is usually around 25˚C in summer, but can drop to 11˚C in the winter. It is worth noting that diving here is heavily regulated, and visitors on diving holidays to Croatia will need to obtain the HRS Divers Card (a diving permit), certification and insurance before they are allowed to dive. The Croatian diving permit can be bought from local diving centres and is valid for a year. Some diving locations in Croatia, such as the Kornati National Park and the Mljet National Park require divers to have a special additional permit, which can also be organized by nearby dive shops. Diving is not allowed in harbours, anchorages, areas of heavy traffic and some national parks.
Croatia Highlights
Istria may have water that is not as clear as in other parts of Croatia for diving. But what it lacks in clarity, it more than makes up for with its shipwrecks. One of the best known shipwrecks of the Adriatic is found here- the Baron Gautsch. The passenger boat sank in 1914, and to this day has been well preserved in its watery grave. Divers can get right into the interior of the wreck, which has become home to algae, sponges, coral and lots of fish. The upper deck lies at 28 metres, and the lower deck is at 42 metres, therefore this dive is only suited to advanced divers.
The area around Cres and Losinj in the Adriatic is one of the prettiest parts of Croatia. The sea clarity is exceptional, and there is a diverse selection of marine life. There are shallow reefs, suitable for beginner divers, as well as underwater caves. Divers are likely to see playful dolphins around these islands.
The Kornati National Park is extremely popular with divers in Croatia. The area has a huge range of types of dive site, including steep walls, underwater caves, crevices and passages. There is a lot of marine life for divers to enjoy in these waters. There are various archaeological sites, cliffs and sunken reefs, and there are still many undiscovered shipwrecks hidden in the deep underwater depressions. There are some beautiful corals and sponges, and many schools of fish have made this region their home. There are hundreds of small islands to discover with caves, canyons, bright gorgonias and even an underwater botanical and zoological garden created by local ecology students. Kasela Island has a series of spires created by tectonic disturbances, which provide an unforgettable diving experience.
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