Mid August 2014 Karystos, Euboea Island Greece
Best
ecotour experience: A night dive!
For youths,
to break-free of civilization as-we-know-it, nothing compares to night diving.
On this dive Thaleia and Artemis of the Dikelas Dive Center in Karystos guided
a team of five – two of us included a 12 year old Constantine and my 17 year
old Dimitri.
Just 10
minutes speed-boating southeast of Karystos: Waves rocking, dizzy– until we were
set free outside, go under, GO!
We actually
did two dives one before sunset, one at about 22:00; 40 minutes each; down to
24 m depth. But behind the snap-shot flashes and filming was an eerie trance,
beckoning kids across ages. Overwhelming and mysterious pelagic majesty.
You do not
feel fear, but awe and out-of-this world scenes flood new experiences. The
lights exaggerate the alien feeling. The same scene two hours ago was totally
different.
The numbers
of fishes at night are much lower, but some really interesting encounters take
place; a menacing Moray Eel, several octopi, larger-than life breams, bright
red cardinal-fish and scorpionfishes, sleeping rabbitfish, varied patterned parrotfish,
amazing colours everywhere.
I highly
recommend this gift to any family.
