Diving in Northern Greece
Chalkidiki (also commonly spelled Halkidiki) is the top holiday destination in all of northern Greece because of its seaside resorts, gorgeous natural scenery, and glamorous beaches. A peninsula which is made up of three individual peninsulas, like lush mountainous fingers jutting into the oh-so-blue Aegean waters. There is Kassandra where you will find the most popular tourist beaches, resorts and hotels, Sithonia which is more secluded and quiet with a number of private coves, and finally, Athos which is the home of a closed monastic community. This peninsula can only be accessed by men and these men must obtain special permission. All three peninsulas offer incredible diving experiences. There are even special trips organized to dive in the waters off the coast of Athos. On the southern tip of Kassandra, there is currently an effort that is ongoing to get the area classified as a marine protected area. There is a lot of spearfishing, line fishing and trawling that goes on here so the natural marine life is being threatened. There are currently conservation efforts that mostly aim at education both locals and visitors about the dangers of overfishing that are being undertaken by the residents of the area but without official protection, the loss of marine life will be ongoing.
Featured places to go in Northern Greece
Thasos
Aquatic Life in Northern Greece
Diving off the coast of Northern Greece is another great spot to compare what the Northern Aegean Sea offers in the way of underwater life as compared to the more southern parts of the sea. Up north the waters are still deep so you will find some very large variety of fish and things like octopi. Amongst the reefs here you can expect to encounter numerous sea anemones, lobsters, and moray eels. It is also not uncommon to be diving in these waters and be overtaken by a large shoal of jackfish.