White River - Paphos & Coral Bay
White River gives you something a little different for Cyprus, and that’s why we like it so much. It’s a canyon dive, essentially a natural channel carved through white rock. Imagine swimming through a narrow, sun-dappled slot in the rock face, sometimes only a few metres wide, before it opens out into deeper water. The light play here is fantastic, especially mid-morning, with rays slicing through the water column. You’re weaving your way down to about 25 metres, and while the usual Mediterranean suspects are present, it’s the topography that really shines. Keep an eye out for Savigny’s Brittle Stars clinging to the walls, and those Shore Feather Duster Worms retracting their crowns as you drift past. It’s an intermediate dive, mainly because of the potential for a bit of surge in the narrower sections, but it’s nothing too tricky. We’d suggest going on a calm day to fully appreciate the peaceful drift.
- Location
- Paphos & Coral Bay, Cyprus, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 34.820000, 32.380000
- Maximum Depth
- 10-25m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: MPA Mpania
Best Time to Dive in Paphos & Coral Bay
The warmest water temperatures in Paphos & Coral Bay occur in January, averaging 18.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 18.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 18.1°C (air: 13.4°C)
- February: 18.1°C (air: 13.2°C)
- March: 18.1°C (air: 14.6°C)
- April: 18.1°C (air: 18.4°C)
- May: 18.1°C (air: 21.9°C)
- June: 18.1°C (air: 25.4°C)
- July: 18.1°C (air: 28.8°C)
- August: 18.1°C (air: 28.3°C)
- September: 18.1°C (air: 26.5°C)
- October: 18.1°C (air: 23.0°C)
- November: 18.1°C (air: 18.7°C)
- December: 18.1°C (air: 15.2°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Paphos & Coral Bay
- ACCELO - 2m (wreck)
- ACHAIOS (POSSIBLY) - 3m (wreck)
- ACHILLEAS - 12m (wreck)
- ADHAM II - 6m (wreck)
- Agios Georgios Pegeia Beach - 12m
- Amphitheatre - 5-18m
- Amphitheatre (reef)
- Church Bay (reef)
- CyDive (reef)
- DIMITRIOS II - 3m (wreck)
- EDRO III - 0m (wreck)
- FARSAS II - 21m (wreck)
- GREAT HARMONY - 7m (wreck)
- GYPTIS - 6m (wreck)
- KIBRIS I - 14m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to White River
- ABC Dive Ltd - ["PADI"]
- Abyss Dive Centre - ["PADI"]
- Amphibious Diving Center
- Amphora Scuba Diving Center - ["PADI"]
- Coral Bay Divers - ["PADI"]
- CREST DIVE LTD - PADI, RYA
Marine Life in Paphos & Coral Bay
Home to 44 recorded species including 26 reef fish, 9 sharks & rays, 3 other, 2 whales & dolphins, 2 sea snails & nudibranchs, 1 soft corals.
Notable Species
- Thornback skate (Raja clavata) - Sharks & Rays
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- marbled electric ray (Torpedo marmorata) - Sharks & Rays
- Brown Skate (Raja miraletus) - Sharks & Rays
- One-finned Shark (Heptranchias perlo) - Sharks & Rays
- dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula) - Sharks & Rays
- Savigny's Brittle Star (Ophiactis savignyi)
- Blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus) - Sharks & Rays
- Gulper shark (Centrophorus granulosus) - Sharks & Rays
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Velvet belly lantern shark (Etmopterus spinax) - Sharks & Rays
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) - Reef Fish
- Garrupa (Serranus cabrilla) - Reef Fish
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum) - Reef Fish
- Three-tooth Cavoline (Cavolinia tridentata) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- Jenny Lind (Seriola dumerili) - Reef Fish
- Pandora (Pagellus erythrinus) - Reef Fish
- red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for White River
Based on average water temperature of 18.1°C.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 18°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories