Ready to welcome visitors who love diving will be from the new season the Diving Park in Stalis. The Park, licensed in December 2023, already has 40 artificial habitats – ELKETHE’s innovative reefs – which are adapted to the environment and have begun to be colonized by fish and other marine organisms.

According to Heraklion Chamber President Vangelis Karkanakis, eighteen reefs will still be placed next time to complete the intended number. The images recorded already by the seabed are unique. The Diving Park in Stalis is one of the few licensed in Greece, with a bottom level and a depth of 17.7 to 21.5 meters, while its total area reaches 22.5 acres.

The Park will operate normally and will be accessible to the new season, as suggested by the members of the Diving Schools and Centers of Heraklion Divers’ training at their meeting last February.

As Mr Karkanakis notes, the proposal was based on the need to complete the park maturation. At the same time, the creation of a common operating framework that will be implemented by 2026, and currently implementing seabed and capture contracts to optimize routes and complete operational operation.

Subsequent moves include boosting infrastructure, such as a wreck and the restoration of Poseidonia meadows. Pilot monitoring is also foreseen with new technologies and international promotion of the park through exhibitions.

Information Center and innovative services

In the context of a proposal at Interreg VI-A Greece-Cyprus, the Heraklion Chamber and the Heraklion Development are planning the creation of an information center for the marine environment and diving in the Municipality of Hersonissos. The aim is to offer virtual browsing (VR) in real time, with an emphasis on accessibility and innovation, so that people with disabilities can also participate.

The Park aspires to be a new attraction for autopsy from Greece and abroad. First visitors will be able to dive into a space with rich biodiversity, protected environment and organized routes.

The diving park has two trips about 300–320 meters long, at a depth of 17.5–21 meters. The duration of each dive will range from 40 to 60 minutes, depending on the conditions. Four light photographers have been placed on the mark of the park and the Navy’s Lighthouse Service and Hydrographic Service have been informed.

Access to the park only requires an Open Water Diver certification, as the routes are designed to be accessible to everyone, but also attractive to more experienced divers.

The 40 artificial reefs create micro -states that already host rhodoids, lion, lionfish and other species. The area stands out for water clarity, Posidonia meadows and rich benthic fauna. The creation of a submarine exhibition space with a wreck is also foreseen, giving a unique identity to the park.

International Recognition and Perspectives

Before welcoming visitors, the Diving Park in Stalis received a significant distinction, including the European Union’s “Success Stories”, as presented on the website of the Directorate -General for Marine Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). This distinction confirms the value of the project, funded by the Operational Program “Fisheries and Sea 2014–2020” and implemented with the support of the Heraklion Chamber and Heraklion Development.

In addition, in October, Heraklion members of the Famenet (Fisheries and Aquaculture Monitoring, Evaluation and Local Support Network) is expected to visit a video on the project, which will be published on the European Commission’s website and presented as a “good practice” at a meeting of the Management Authorities in Bryax.

International recognition is expected to enhance extroversion, attract visitors and strengthen confidence in the project. Crete aspires to become a destination for diving lovers.

The development of diving network parks is considered necessary for the tourist exploitation of the Cretan seabed, offering significant economic benefits. Diving tourism is a quality and profitable sector, expanding the tourist season, creates new jobs and strengthens Crete’s brand name as a destination for sustainable tourism. At the same time, it helps to protect the marine environment.

Given that the ban on fishing in protected areas can increase fish seats within three years, diving parks can be tools of sustainable development with benefits for the local community and economy. In this light, procedures for the creation of other parks are being promoted.

New diving parks in a single and south of Heraklion

According to the President of the Heraklion Chamber, the Park is promoted in Mononitus, Agia Pelagia, Malevizi, and other areas in the southern part of the prefecture are being considered. A network of diving parks is expected to establish Crete as a top diving destination in the Mediterranean, offering long -term diving experiences.