Explore the underwater of the Ionian

If you stroll around the waterfront of northern Corfu in the early morning hours, you will definitely notice the groups of divers that are getting ready to explore the unique seabed around the island. Many of them take their cameras to capture the rare species and plants, the shipwrecks, the rocky caves, the reefs... Till now Corfu was famous for its beautiful beaches, but over the last years visitors start to discover the amazing underwater regions around the island. Many diving clubs have opened and they organize excursions and courses. We talked to Mr Antonis Salvanos, owner of Dive Easy scuba diving club in Acharavi, northern Corfu, and an experienced diving instructor. He described us the underwater world around the island and explained why Corfu can be an interesting diving destination. Tell us a few words about Corfu and its seabed. Does the island have the possibilities to develop diving tourism? Our island has the best possibilities for the development of diving tourism, as it has crystal blue waters, more than 5 shipwrecks to explore, innumerable caves and reefs, as well as a rich underwater life, such as blackfish that reach 30 kilos each and other species. Note that the Ionian is the deepest point of the Mediterranean, so in every dive we have a different “meeting”. Can someone dive in Corfu in winter? You can do some very nice dives in winter on our island. After all, Dive Easy works all year round and organizes excursions even off high season. In which places do you organize diving excursions? We dive in the northern part of Corfu, from Nisaki Bay to Paleokastritsa and to the Diapontia islands (Othoni, Mathraki, Erikousa). Do you offer diving courses for beginners? Yes, of course. From the first moment, someone can try his first dive. The first dive lasts for 30 minutes and he can reach 6 meters under the sea surface. For your first degree, you will need 5 dives and 6 to 7 theoretical lectures. I instruct the beginners myself. I have more than 10 years experience in autonomous diving instruction and of course every day I get more experience. Which diving excursions would you recommend to a beginner? We organize many excursions around Corfu. For a beginner, I would suggest diving in Diaplos islet in Agni, Astrikeri and Barbaro Cape.