DILARA 1 - Alonissos Marine Park
DILARA 1 is one of our favourites in Alonissos Marine Park, though it’s less about the sheer size of the wreck and more about the way it tells a story. She was a tanker, sank back in '91 after mechanical trouble, and now she sits at a comfortable 20 metres. You can swim around the bow, which is still quite intact, and the stern where the propeller blades are clear, even after all these years. What we love about Dilara is the sheer amount of fish life that's made her home. Schools of damselfish shimmer around the superstructure, and if you look closely, you’ll spot moray eels peeking from crevices, their heads swaying gently. The light filtering down through the blue water onto the rusty metal creates this incredible, almost melancholic atmosphere. It’s a site that suits divers who appreciate history and enjoy a good rummage around a structure that’s slowly being reclaimed by the sea. We’d suggest going in the morning; the visibility really opens up then, and you get that beautiful Mediterranean light show.
- Location
- Alonissos Marine Park, Greece, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 39.282333, 25.882833
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 20m
Marine Protected Area: Megalonisi-Nisioti (Sigriou)
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 DILARA 1
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 DILARA 1
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