Krk Diving

Diving off of the island of Krk in Croatia will expose divers to the best of what the Adriatic Sea has to offer. This comes in the shape of some exhilarating rocky topography including unforgettable caves, steep drop offs which plunge down into the blue and marine life coated in every vibrant colour imaginable. 

 

Diving in Krk

Krk is a large island which lies within the Kvarner Bay in Croatia and is attached to the mainland by a bridge. It lies within the North Adriatic Sea. This island is known for its rich history, but is also often visited by divers wanting to explore its surrounding waters. With over 40 very versatile dive sites, a large range of divers will enjoy diving here. Whether old historical wrecks, gardens of spectacular Gorgonians, steep drop offs down into the blue or thrilling caves are what divers are interested in, they are all here. The dive centres with their experienced guides will take divers to the dive sites by boat, whether it be for completing a dive course or just to explore the many dive sites here. Two unique highlights here are the 1.5 metre long Frogfish! Which can be spotted as well as the underwater mine at Lorelei at the Island of Cors. With so much variety underwater, each dive is bound to be a memorable one.

Best time to dive

Krk has a Mediterranean climate which means hot summer winters with a lot of rain. The air temperatures here range between a cold 8 degrees Celsius in the midst of winter, between December and February, and reaches up to 26 degrees Celsius in the summer months of July and August. The peak diving season lies between May and September when the waters are the most calm, the most clear and the warmest, with the least amount of rain and the least amount of currents. The water temperature here ranges between 12 and 24 degrees Celsius and the visibility is on average good throughout the year and ranges between 10 metres and 35 metres on the best days. 

Types of diving

One of the main attractions of diving around Krk is the wide variety in underwater topography which almost creates underwater playgrounds for divers. This topography includes multiple caves of all different sizes and at different depths such as Bug Cave, Deep Cave and Blue Malin Cave and steep reef walls and steep underwater cliffs such as Selzine. Other dive sites which are man-made include historical wrecks such as Peltastis and the mine at Lorelai. If divers are wanting to have more relaxed divers where they can admire the diverse marine environment here, then there are multiple dive sites where they can do this. Some dive sites, including Mali Plavnik and Plic Tenki,  also cater to the night dive lovers and underwater photographers. 

What to see

The reefs here are really alive and attract different groups of marine species. The reefs are made up of a collection of Soft Corals, Anemones, Hard Corals and many colourful Sea Sponges. Some species include Octopus, Tuna, Jacks, Saury, Red Fish, Starfish, different species of Crustaceans such as Lobsters and Crabs, species of Eels such as Conger and Moray Eels. and other large schools of colourful fish. On the luckiest days, divers can spot the tiny, yet truly impressive, Seahorse. One of the most unique species of this region is the Frogfish, but not just any regular Frogfish, here they can reach up to 1.5 metres long! 

Best places to dive

Mali Plavnik is a shallow reef which allows divers of all levels to really admire the beauty of the marine life in these waters. Not only is there a reef teeming with life, there are also some drop offs and a collection of caves, so this site is thrilling and beautiful.

Selzine is the most impressive and steep underwater cliff in this region, it drops down into the blue all the way down to 110 metres; a real treat for technical divers! Here divers can watch as species such as Tuna predate on smaller fish. 

Lorelai is an underwater mine at the island of Cres which is a unique diving experience.

Peltastis is a 60 metre long Greek merchant wreck which sunk around 30 years ago and lies between 6 and 32 metres, which means it’s accessible for all levels of divers. 

Bug Cave and Deep Cave are caves which have been described to resemble cathedrals and are filled with a plethora of marine vegetation and marine life.

Plic Tenki is a mecca for underwater photographers due to the high density of marine life.