What's very local
The wild beauty of the Dalmatian coast and its islands lies not only above sea level, but also below it. Croatia, like its Mediterranean neighbors, is a country of sailors, fishermen and divers.
The Adriatic has low-amplitude tides, and the water is particularly blue and transparent, offering excellent visibility down to 30 m. It has average salinity for the Mediterranean. Its salinity is average for the Mediterranean. Sea temperatures are very pleasant from May to October. The rest of the year, the Adriatic doesn't drop below around ten degrees. After the Palagruža threshold, the deep waters of the southern Adriatic basin begin. Most of the flora and fauna you'll encounter on your underwater excursions are common to the whole of the Mediterranean. More rarely, we find endemic species favored by the relative isolation of this corner of the sea. The majority of living species are found far from the coast, marked by the presence of photosynthetic plants. The nature and extent of the fauna depend on a number of ecological factors, including the amount of light, the type of seabed and the temperature.
Mljet, an island to the south of Dubrovnik and relatively far from the coast, is one of the Adriatic's top diving destinations. Here, too, you'll find numerous protected species in crystal-clear waters. Part of the park is protected (national park), making diving complicated.
The rest of the coast around Dubrovnik is equally worth exploring. There's a wide variety of fauna, the water is clear and, all along the way, divers can discover wrecks dating back to the Second World War or the Venetian invasion, sometimes still filled with amphorae as in Cavtat. The great attraction of these visits is that each wreck is teeming with fish and hiding places for moray eels and octopus. You can venture inside some wrecks to visit the ships. At Žujlana (Pelješac), you'll come face to face with a German Torpedo S 57 sunk in August 1944. Unfortunately, you may also come across other, far less interesting wrecks, such as washing machines!
In Cavtat , you can admire the wreck of Pithos, which dates back to the 4th century B.C. It lies at a depth of 30m. The ship has been converted into an underwater museum. Here you'll still find enormous pithos (globular earthenware jars with wide openings used to transport wine and grain). They are wide enough to hold a man. From the same town, a few kilometers south of Dubrovnik, you can reach the wreck of the Seka od Mrkana, an Italian Navy transport ship that sank after being hit by an Allied mine in 1943. The vessel lies at a depth of between 23 m and 52 m. Pieces of cargo and engine parts are still visible. The wreck lies at an angle of 70 degrees with the bow pointing towards the surface. A superb dive for underwater photographers.
Your documents please
There are diving clubs all along the coast in the Dubrovnik region and on the islands. They range in size from professional, multinational companies to oxygen cylinders in the backyard garage. The instructors are all qualified and experienced. Most are German. You can choose to dive for pleasure or take a course to improve your skills. In the latter case, schools often offer diving, transfer and accommodation packages. Please note, however, that a license is not enough: you'll need to buy a card on site, valid for one year and costing 14 euros. Check with the various diving centers to find out where diving is permitted. Diving in national parks is only authorized for divers accompanied by a diving school. However, solo divers are allowed, subject to obtaining a permit from the port authorities, which costs 335 euros for one year.
For further information, visit the website (in Croatian): www.diving-hrs.hr. Here are some of the best diving spots in the region:
To be booked
Almost any activity can be booked in advance during July and August, including diving, kayaking, boat trips and more.
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