Scuba Diving in Larnaca

February 7, 2017

Scuba Diving
Blessed with all the elements that make a diver’s paradise, Larnaka attracts visitors from all over the world for its favourable weather conditions, top-ranking wrecks and diverse marine life. And with warm waters that range from 16-27 degrees almost all-year-round, the island as a whole enjoys one of the longest diving seasons in the Mediterranean, further enhanced by fantastic visibility - thanks to an absence of plankton. Whether you are an experienced diver or trying the sport for the first time, Larnaka offers the ideal diving experience. If you need a helping hand in locating an accredited dive school, the Cyprus Dive Centre Association lists all its members.

The Zenobia Wreck

Location: Larnaka Bay

Type of dive site: Wreck

Depth: 17 – 43 metres

Visibility: 30 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Open water (OW)

Features: An abundance of marine life can be found at the wreck, with schools of fish, including grouper, barracuda, kingfish, jacks and trigger fish, as well as moray eels, stingrays, turtles and octopus. Its ferry and much of the cargo are intact, making it fascinating to explore.

Interesting Facts: Ranked as one of the Top 10 best wreck dives in the world, the Zenobia is a Swedish Roll-on-roll-off ferry that sank on its maiden voyage in 1980 and was thus nicknamed ‘The Titanic of the Mediterranean’. She now lies on her portside on a flat bed of sand and rocks. The 165-metre ferry was carrying 108 articulated lorries with a varied cargo, including cars, military equipment, games, food and telecommunication systems, and some of the one million hen eggs it was carrying have even remained intact under water. Click here to view the CTO's leaflet 'Diving at the Zenobia'.

 HMS Cricket

Location: Larnaka Bay

Type of dive site: Wreck

Depth: 27 metres

Visibility: 25 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Advanced Open Water (AOW)

Features: There is a sandy dip under the wreck allowing divers to swim underneath it as well as inside the hull through escape hatches. The vessel is home to groupers and other fish.

Interesting Facts: This old British river gunboat rests upside down. It survived the war and was then anchored in Larnaka Bay and used as target practice by the RAF, but sank in 1947 due to bad weather.

Alexandra Wreck

Location: Larnaka Bay

Type of dive site: Wreck

Depth: 32 metres

Visibility: 25 metres

Access: By boat

Qualification Required: Advanced Open Water (AOW)

Features: Located 200 metres from the famous Zenobia wreck, this site also features the same marine life with schools of fish including grouper, barracuda, kingfish, jacks and trigger fish, as well as moray eels, stingrays, turtles and octopus.

Interesting Facts: The Alexandra was a wooden Egyptian fishing vessel that sank in 2006 and measures 37 metres across.

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