Late October 2025
Three day visit to the island of Chios! Last time I was here, in 1989, it was sleeping on beaches and sailing across to Izmir...
Of course, Greece is huge!
I mean there are so many nooks and corners to explore, some still unexplored, some very authentic. Even some islands (...), Chios is definately such a place. This time I went to Chios to look at wildfire damage and inspect an anti-flood engineering project (also involving some birding).
First thoughts - General introduction
Chios has lost some natural coastline to tourist sprawl (or second-home sprawl), and some of these are ofcourse on wetland areas, tiny torrent-stream river mouths and tiny marshes behind beach barriers. Wetland habitats have suffered from loss. Water was always gold here.
However, much of the island, despite being a 'Greek Island experience' is still very well preserved (i.e., true rural villages and countryside intact, architectural integrity well-kept, wild-areas widespread in the uplands, etc). The island has quite an abrupt relief; the nothern half being very mountainous and big (seems a lot like Crete in some places). Traditional goat grazing still exists (although in decline). The south is like southern Italy or Cyprus, well kept traditional agriculture and an interesting unique feature: Mastic Tree orchards!
Water on Chios
Chios is big and has mountains, it should have freshwater.
The area of the island is 844 sq. km with a coastline of 227 km in length. It is the fifth largest island in size in Greece with a population of about 50,361 residents (as of the 2021 census). Half of the total population lives in the capital, Chios Town and there is a decline in the village resident population. So a lot of abandonment is evident.
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| The island of chios with its river basins and streams; in darker green areas that are 'major rivers' presuming near-perrenial /or long-term waters during hte year (but most stretches are intermittent). Most other river stretches are ephemeral. Source: Paidas, G. M. (2011). Water resources of the island of Chios: Current knowledge and proposals (Master’s thesis, National Technical University of Athens). National Technical University of Athens. |
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| Komi Beach in south Chios. Now built-up. Real bad. The river creates flooding problems. What to do? (Photo from my flight over there on the 28th Oct. 2025). |
What we know about aquatic life on the Island
I researched our databases and our published work; initially I was interested to see if there where any freshwater fish on Chios.
Firstly, the first man I know (and I know well and trust) who knows of the presence of European Eel (Anguilla anguilla) on Chios is Evangelos Spinthakis; he mentioned that eels were present in the wetland of Limnos (AKA Marmara Wetland next to Kardamyla). There are many locals who know of these eels. And I heard talk of eels in other places; marine fish such as grey mullets also enter river-mouths and canals on the island. We found some Chelon labrosus specimens at Marmara Wetland when we visited. Unfortunately, we have not other research on fish presence/absence that I am aware of for the island. Since European Eels are Critically Endangered on a global level their presence is a key criterion for conservation.
It is practically ridiculous that we know nothing about inland water fishes on Chios. Eels should be present, there are even past records of the Eurasian Otter on Chios. Eels are also present on the Karaburn Peninsula immediately across from the island, although only recently located there (Agdamar & Acar 2022). Catsadorakis and Paragamian also mention fish presence in several wetlands on Chios, but they give no particulars about European Eels. Finally, Mylona (2007), in her doctoral thesis Fish-eating in Greece from the Fifth Century B.C. to the Seventh Century A.D., examines the role of fish in ancient Greek societies through archaeological, historical, literary, and ichthyological evidence. Of particular relevance to Chios, she records an ancient reference to eels kept in a natural pool near the Sanctuary of the Old Men (Shrine of the Old Men; somewhere on the island). This is significant because it provides a historical indication of the presence of eels on Chios (Mylona, 2007).
Wildfire on Chios and the study area: Malagiotis River Valley near Volissos
Generally as landscapes become abandoned; wildfires become mega-wildfires.
Chios is no stranger to this.
I inspected the Malagiotis river valley near Volissos village to check for an engineering project and its impacts. Some orientation follows.
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| The northern part of Chios. The lower Malagiotis river is proposed to be engineered for anti-flood work (red area on west coast of island). |
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| 69.089 stremmata (69 sq. km) were affected by the wildfire that broke out in northwestern Chios between August 12 and 15, 2025, according to theRapid Mapping service of the European environmental monitoring program Copernicus. |
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| Volissos Village, where I was stayed. The view from my friend's house balcony. |
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| The Malagiotis bridge: Pre-1960 (above) and today (below). See map below. |
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| The lower Malagiotis Stream (the bridge position is the same; see above photos): Pre-1960 (above) and today (below). Of course it will produce floods, it has been artificially narrowed down. About 1/3rd the natural width we estimated. |
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| A point upstream, on the Malagiotis, that has spring-water year-round. We found terrapins (Mauremys rivulata here). It is a likely place for eels (but no evidence yet). |
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| The tiny wetland, now a 'protected area' at the stram mouth of the Malagiotis. |
For anyone interested read our report (in Greek):
Dams and reservoirs on Chios
Chios is missing wetlands, so what artificial waters exist; are obviously potentially important to wildlife. We inspected some of these.
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| Zifias Dam. A small artificial dam, there are other smaller ones in the area. The site does have fish (and cormorants). Much of the landscape around was burned by recent wildfires. |
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| Katrari Dam, near Kalamoti Village in the south of the island. This is the island's largest wetland and most promising artificial wetland area for biodiversity. |
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| Armoloi pond, protected for its dragonflies(!!). This is a first! The wetland is at Armoloi Village. I guess the gentleman who promoted this, the late M.J. Taylor, an entomologist from Liverpool, really lives on in this cultural statement, R.I.P. my good friend. A rare case in Greece and the Med, worthy of mention. |
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| Armoloi Pond, the dragonfly protected area. This is a sign at a small artificial pond at Armoloi Village; beside a brick-building factory, the pond was protected in order to promote and sustain dragonflies! The bilingual educational sign is very nice but getting old. I am wearing our new GPO 10X40 high definition binoculars and very grateful to be doing my job as professional naturalist. |
Finally what is really interesting about Chios its biogeographical position.
Chios is actually an extention of Turkey's Karaburun‑Çeşme Penisula (also known as the Izmir Peninsula; also in ancient times, the Peninsula of the Erythraeans; Chersonēsos tōn Erythraîon). As expected, due to the island proximity, it has strong faunistic and floristic links with Asia Minor/Anatolia. This is the major drawing card for naturalist visitors from...Athens (or any part of Europe for that matter). Its also a big island; Greece's 5th largest (Euboea and Crete of course are mega-islands for GR, the former being a continental quasi-island; so infact it is one of Greece's top mega-islands). And it feels big, just like being on Rhodes or Lesvos. Big means diverse and challanging to explore.
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| Above: The position of Chios at the end of the Karaburun‑Çeşme Peninsula (also showing published eBird hotspots). Below the sites we visited in three days on the island (blue areas: eBird Personal Locations, red spot: eBird Hotspot; yellow line- general route taken). I want to thank all my friends on Chios for the hospitality. And also, the local authorities and government agencies who hosted us. |
See:
Additional Bibliography
Choremi, J., Spinthakis, E., & Choulis, D. (1993). The birds of Chios Island. Municipality of Homeroupolis.
Mylona, D. (2007). Fish-eating in Greece from the fifth century B.C. to the seventh century A.D.: A story of impoverished fishermen or luxurious fish banquets? [Doctoral dissertation, University of Southampton]. University of Southampton ePrints. https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/466202/
Κατσαδωράκης, Γ., & Παραγκαμιάν, Κ. (2007). Απογραφή των υγροτόπων των νησιών του Αιγαίου: Ταυτότητα, οικολογική κατάσταση και απειλές. WWF Ελλάς.
Agdamar, S., Acar, Ü., 2022. New record and rare occurrence of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from freshwater bodies in Karaburun Peninsula (Izmir, Türkiye): anthropogenic pressures on the fish movements. Turk. J. Biosci. Collect. 6 (1), 15–20. https://doi.org/10.26650/tjbc.20221084791.
