There is history like no other hidden in the Ionian Sea. Go
diving off the Greek island of Kefalonia to discover 2,000 year old shipwrecks
and ancient archaeological artefacts.
With the island being first settled in 1200 BC, the
surrounding Ionian waters harbour shipwrecks dating back over 2,000 years.
There isn’t much left of the wrecks themselves, but what can be seen is
hundreds of ancient artefacts and amphorae.
Off the north-east coast of Kefalonia lies a very small
rocky islet with just one church on it. The islet is mentioned in Homer’s
Odyssey as ‘Asteris Island’ but is more commonly referred to today as Daskalion
Islet. Drop down beneath the surface and you’ll discover that this is actually
a submerged mountaintop which is surrounded by marine life. Octopuses, moray
eels, groupers and nudibranchs can all be encountered here; although it is not
the marine life that sets this dive apart.
At 30-35m you will find the remains of a 2,000 year old
Roman shipwreck which presumably wrecked on the rocks of Asteris Island. Although
most of the vessel has been eroded away (bar a few wooden struts and ballast
weights) it has left behind hundreds of amphorae, some of which are still
intact and have been undisturbed for thousands of years.
Excellent visibility, which often exceeds 20 metres, makes
it possible to see the vast extent of the ship’s cargo scattered across the
seabed. Underwater, you get a real sense of the magnitude of the history,
imaging what it must have been like thousands of years ago and how the ship
must have met its end there. Past becomes present and history comes alive as
you see all of the amphorae that the ship once carried.
From a historical point of view, Kefalonia is an extremely
interesting island. Archaeological finds date back 40,000 years in time. This
is reflected in the diving, which allows an opportunity to discover a type of
history unseen by most people. Whilst you may not get the perfectly preserved
type of wrecks that more modern history offers, instead you get a story and
ancient archaeological artefacts that you’ll struggle to match anywhere else in
the world.
Amphorae can be seen at several dive sites around Kefalonia
as well as during dives off the neighbouring island of Ithaca. As Ithaca is one of the more remote and less
inhabited islands the marine life and quality of wall dives there is
spectacular. Ithaca is also where Homer’s Odyssey was based; a testament to the
quality of history that these islands provide.
Kefalonia offers diving steeped in rich history combined
with average visibility of 30m, 28°C water temperature and diverse marine life.
Contact Aquatic in Agia Efimia, to enquire about all diving possibilities on
the island.
