BOUKETHALOS - Alonissos Marine Park
Boukethalos, in the Alonissos Marine Park, offers a quiet dive with a touch of melancholy. This isn't a massive warship, but a burnt-out yacht, sitting upright at 40 metres. We love how it feels like exploring someone's lost dream. Dropping down, the first thing you notice is the ghostly outline against the blue, the superstructure largely gone, leaving an open skeleton. Inside the hull, the bare ribs of the boat are now home to small groupers and cardinalfish, darting in and out of the shadows. There's an eery silence down there, broken only by your own breath. We’d suggest keeping an eye out for nudibranchs on the remaining deck fittings; they add a surprising splash of colour to the muted tones of the wreck. This dive is best for experienced wreck divers who appreciate a more intimate exploration rather than a grand, intact vessel. It’s a good one to pair with a deeper dive in the park, a reflective counterpoint to the more bustling reefs.
- Location
- Alonissos Marine Park, Greece, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 37.949000, 23.482666
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 40m
Wreck History - BOUKETHALOS
- Vessel Type
- unknown
- Cause
- fire
Resting in the deep, clear waters of the Alonissos Marine Park, the Boukethalos is a modern yacht that succumbed to a sudden onboard fire. An electrical short circuit sparked a blaze that quickly consumed the vessel, forcing it to be abandoned. The fire burned the yacht out before it finally slipped beneath the waves, coming to rest on the seabed 40 meters below.
As a deep dive, the Boukethalos is reserved for experienced and technical divers. The wreck sits upright and, despite the fire damage, its form is still clearly recognizable as a sleek, modern yacht. Divers can explore the charred superstructure and peer into the hull, imagining its former luxury. Located within a protected marine park, the wreck is slowly being colonized by local marine life, adding a splash of nature's color to its stark, burnt frame.
Marine Protected Area: NISIDES SARONIKOU KOLPOU KAI THALASSIA PERIOCHI
Best Time to Dive in Alonissos Marine Park
The warmest water temperatures in Alonissos Marine Park occur in August, averaging 27.2°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 13.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 14.5°C
- February: 13.9°C
- March: 14.2°C
- April: 15.4°C
- May: 18.7°C
- June: 23.5°C
- July: 26.5°C
- August: 27.2°C
- September: 25.3°C
- October: 22.8°C
- November: 19.9°C
- December: 16.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Alonissos Marine Park
- AES GIORGIS - 5m (wreck)
- Aghios Petros
- AGIA MATRONA - 40m (wreck)
- AGIOS IOANNIS - 3m (wreck)
- AGIOS NICOLAOS - 25m (wreck)
- Agios Romanos
- ALEXANDROS Z - 54m (wreck)
- ALEX G - 9m (wreck)
- Alonissos National Marine Park
- AMALIA - 6m (wreck)
- ANDREAS - 25m (wreck)
- ANDROS - 36m (wreck)
- Andros Wreck (wreck)
- Apollonia II wreck (wreck)
- APOLLONIA VI - 20m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to BOUKETHALOS
Marine Life in Alonissos Marine Park
Home to 16 recorded species including 3 whales & dolphins, 3 reef fish, 2 other, 2 hard corals, 2 crabs & lobsters, 1 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Leidy's Comb Jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi)
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) - Reef Fish
- Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii) - Hard Corals
- Species code: Hs (Halophila stipulacea) - Seagrass & Algae
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- Bottleneck Sea Cucumber (Holothuria (Thymiosycia) impatiens) - Sea Cucumbers
- Sand mason (Lanice conchilega) - Worms
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) - Crabs & Lobsters
Recommended Packing List for BOUKETHALOS
Based on average water temperature of 19.9°C, currents 3 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 20°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