Mitilini wreck - Halkidiki
The Mitilini wreck is one of our favourite dives in Halkidiki, not just for the history but for how it’s become part of the reef. This cargo ship, sunk in the early 1960s, rests upright on a sandy bottom, broken into two main sections. We love dropping down onto the stern, which is surprisingly intact, the propeller still there, encrusted with sponges and a thick carpet of small anemones. Inside the holds, you’ll find schools of glasseye fish, their silver scales catching the light from above. Keep an eye out for octopus tucked away in crevices; they’re often quite curious here. The bow section is more broken up, scattered debris creating little havens for moray eels. It’s a great dive for photographers, especially when the sun hits the upper decks, illuminating the vibrant growth. We’d suggest going in the morning; the visibility tends to be best then, and you avoid the afternoon boat traffic. It’s a solid dive for anyone comfortable with wreck penetration, though you can enjoy plenty just exploring the exterior.
- Location
- Halkidiki, Greece, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 40.073080, 23.297024
- Type
- wreck
Marine Protected Area: AKROTIRIO PYRGOS - ORMOS KYPSAS - MALAMO
Best Time to Dive in Halkidiki
The warmest water temperatures in Halkidiki occur in August, averaging 26.6°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 14.0°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 14.7°C
- February: 14.5°C
- March: 14.0°C
- April: 14.6°C
- May: 18.4°C
- June: 23.4°C
- July: 26.3°C
- August: 26.6°C
- September: 24.4°C
- October: 21.2°C
- November: 18.6°C
- December: 16.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Halkidiki
- AGIOS NIKOLAOS - 55m (wreck)
- Akti Kalogrias
- ALEKOS - 55m (wreck)
- ANTHOULA - 11m (wreck)
- Armenistis bay - 5-20m (reef)
- Avlaki
- CAPTAIN NIKOS (PROBABLY) - 20m (wreck)
- Dias island - 10-25m (reef)
- Dolphin Diving Center
- ERIKA - 9m (wreck)
- EVDOKIA - 50m (wreck)
- FAIRY TALE - 24m (wreck)
- FETICH BOULEN - 10m (wreck)
- Fidonisi
- Finger reef (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Mitilini wreck
- AQUALAND - SSI, PADI, CMAS
- ARGOS DALIS MERKEZI
- AZURE DIVING CENTER - SSI
- BLUE DIVING CENTER
- CAT DIVING CENTER
- Dive Club Kassandra - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Halkidiki
Home to 22 recorded species including 5 reef fish, 5 hard corals, 4 other, 3 crabs & lobsters, 2 soft corals, 2 whales & dolphins.
Notable Species
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Pink Sea Fan (Eunicella verrucosa) - Soft Corals
- Sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) - Hard Corals
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- Leidy's Comb Jelly (Mnemiopsis leidyi)
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Garrupa (Serranus cabrilla) - Reef Fish
- Devonshire cup coral (Caryophyllia (Caryophyllia) smithii) - Hard Corals
- Common brittlestar (Ophiothrix fragilis)
- Neptune's lace (Reteporella grimaldii)
- Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Star Coral (Madracis pharensis) - Hard Corals
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Sand hopper (Talitrus saltator) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Norway Lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina) - Hard Corals
- Mediterranean feather star (Antedon mediterranea)
Recommended Packing List for Mitilini wreck
Based on average water temperature of 19.4°C, currents 6 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 19°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