Scuba diving Korcula
Scuba diving Vela Luka
At this moment we do not recommend any diving club in this area.
Franco Banfi article about scuba diving in Croatia
(published in DiverNet magazine)
Croatian Adriatic coastline the perfect place for a diving tourist - especially one with a camera.
I am curious about the destination, having visited it many years ago before I knew anything about diving. I remember the colour of the water, an incredible, almost tropical blue.
I decide to drive the 300 miles from my hometown in Italy to Ancona, and take a ferry from there. Early the next day I arrive in the city of Split, set on a long, mountainous coastline.
Split is the capital of Croatia's Dalmatian region. It grew up around the Roman emperor Diocletian's palace, which remains one of the world's best-preserved ancient buildings.
I don't have time for sightseeing here, however - I am taking the next ferry to Korcula.
Korcula is said to be one of Croatia's most beautiful and also one of its biggest islands, with 112 miles of jagged coastline. Stepping off the ferry, I am overwhelmed by the perfumes of rosemary, sage and lavender. The old Greek name for the island, Korkyra Melaina, reflected its dense covering of pine trees, though these have been whittled away over the years for boat-building.
The underwater world of Korcula is, however, only now being revealed to diving tourists. My base in the north-west of the island is Vela Luka, a small town where ancient Romans used to relax between wars. From Vela Luka, which means "big bay", we can head north or south to dive.
Today my guide Franco, co-owner of the Posejdon Croatia Dive Centre, has anchored his inflatable on the south coast. Between 10 and 15m, he says, we will find walls rich with life.
We follow the anchor chain down and head out along a wall covered by sea fans and encircled by flocks of anthias. Big branches of red coral can be seen growing from the cracks.
Sponges are everywhere: the Greek bath sponge (Spongias officinalis), so dark we see them only when up close, and the verongia, golden-coloured sponges that grow to no more than 20cm and are heavily concentrated on the rocky walls.
The yellow or orange antler sponges (Axinella cannabina) are showier, and some are more than a metre high. Attached we find squid eggs and featherstars, but the tissues of other antlers have been invaded by Parazoanthus bushy coral polyps.
At first we think we have come upon branches of black coral (Gerardia savaglia), but realise our mistake as we get closer. Though disappointed that it isn't black coral, this growth is a curious phenomenon I have read about but never before seen.
Nearby we count numerous tiny Hypselodoris tricolor nudibranchs, coloured an intense blue with a white or yellow line on the back, feeding on Cacospongia sponges.
Before returning to the dive centre, Franco takes us to a small bay to visit one of his friends. Gecko shows off a collection of amphora necks and, with the help of some local red wine, tells us tales of treasures from sunken Greek boats and Spanish galleons and about the wrecks of aircraft from World War Two.
Next morning the sky is cloudy and the sea calm, but a sirocco wind is predicted for late afternoon. Franco has decided to show me some caves. We enter the Blue Hole only 9m below the surface, and follow a big chamber downwards. The walls are covered in multi-coloured sponges, and near the exit point at 35m the deep colour of red coral branches is revealed in our torch lights.
Another cave, called Onion, has an ample entrance at 15m. We move in for some 60m, noting a muddy backdrop relieved by the cerianthus anemones typical of this environment. Encrustations on the walls hide prawns and small crabs.
A white spirograph signals the halfway point, and here the cave starts its descent to 30m. There is plenty of space and the dive presents no difficulties so long as you have a good torch.
Our diving on Korcula continues in caves, on walls and pinnacles. On one such dive we see an abundance of lobsters which, quite unflustered, come out of their dens to observe us up close, not hesitating to touch my dome port with their antennae.
Night dives take place from the shore or from the boat. I particularly enjoy one such dive about ten minutes' ride out of the bay, around a small rock-cliff.
I come across numerous squat lobsters, again unconcerned by our presence, along with lobsters, crabs and shrimps. At the end of the dive, an octopus and a squid put in appearances.
Another night dive in the bay reveals many blennies and Alicia mirabilis anemones with their stinging tentacles. These come out only at night. On my way back to the surface, I spot cowrie shells among some of the sponges.
Sponges might make their presence felt in Korcula but echinoderms abound in an astonishing variety of forms. I could well believe that every type of Mediterranean starfish exists here, and I saw hundreds of sea cucumbers.
Korcula is a pleasant place for a break - Dalmatians tend to be cordial, easy-going and noisy, and show a genuine desire to offer the best of everything to the guest.
Between dives, I enjoy the local food - grilled meat and smoked ham, salted pilchards, sheep's cheese, paprika salami, Slavonian spicy sausages and so on. Specialities are Dalmatian brodet, a kind of fish broth, and pasticada, beef braised in herbs.
Croatia also has an ancient wine-growing tradition, while the local sljivovic can always be relied on to raise the spirits.
Time passes pleasantly both above and below Korcula's waters. For the photographer there are many treats and much, I imagine, still to discover.
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