Saros Bay Diving

Saros Bay opens off the northern Aegean, and its water behaves differently from the rest of the Turkish coast: no large river feeds into it, the depth drops sharply, and cold currents circulate through, so visibility runs well beyond what divers get further south - twenty to thirty metres is normal and more is not unusual. That combination has made İbrice, a small harbour on the northern shore, the diving base for Thrace and a weekend destination for clubs from Istanbul. The sites are walls, drop-offs, caves and rocky reefs rather than coral, with grouper, amberjack, sponges and good invertebrate life, and a few wrecks. The bay was designated a protected area, which has helped the fish stocks. The water is genuinely cold, noticeably more so than the Mediterranean coast, so a decent wetsuit matters even in August. Facilities at İbrice are a couple of dive centres, some pensions and not much else.

What you actually see

• The clear water - visibility well above the Turkish average.
• The walls and drop-offs - steep rock underwater.
• The caves and reefs - sponge and invertebrate life.
• The İbrice harbour - the small base the diving runs from.

When to go

May to October, with the best visibility usually late in the season. The water stays cold - a 5mm suit or better is sensible even in high summer.

Honest expectations

This is certified diving, not snorkelling - most sites need an open-water card and some need more. İbrice is a small harbour with minimal facilities. Wind closes the bay to boats fairly often.

Nearby

Enez and the Meriç delta are west; Gökçeada lies south across the water.