Orak Island - Bodrum
Orak Island, near Bodrum, often gives us some decent visibility, especially in the mornings before the day boats arrive. We usually find ourselves exploring a gentle sloping reef, home to plenty of octopuses tucked into crevices and schools of barracuda hanging in the blue. It’s a good spot for a relaxed second dive, or for those just getting comfortable with Mediterranean diving. Keep an eye out for nudibranchs on the shallower rocks.
- Location
- Bodrum, Turkey, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 36.968273, 27.590961
Best Time to Dive in Bodrum
The warmest water temperatures in Bodrum occur in January, averaging 18.9°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 18.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 18.9°C (air: 11.7°C)
- February: 18.9°C (air: 12.1°C)
- March: 18.9°C (air: 13.1°C)
- April: 18.9°C (air: 17.4°C)
- May: 18.9°C (air: 21.6°C)
- June: 18.9°C (air: 26.1°C)
- July: 18.9°C (air: 29.8°C)
- August: 18.9°C (air: 28.8°C)
- September: 18.9°C (air: 25.9°C)
- October: 18.9°C (air: 21.5°C)
- November: 18.9°C (air: 17.0°C)
- December: 18.9°C (air: 14.1°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Bodrum
- AEGEO STAR - 40m (wreck)
- Aksona
- ALEXANDROS M - 20m (wreck)
- BUKHARA - 11m (wreck)
- Büyük Resif (reef)
- Cavern Reef (cave)
- Douglas C 47 A Dakota airplane wreck (wreck)
- HASLAMAN I - 10m (wreck)
- HMS Eclipse (reef)
- HMS Intrepid (wreck)
- IREMIA - 45m (wreck)
- Kara Ada (Black Island) - 5-25m (cave)
- Kargi Island - 10-30m (reef)
- Kerveli scouba diving
- Kirburnu
Nearest Dive Centres to Orak Island
Marine Life in Bodrum
Home to 32 recorded species including 18 reef fish, 4 seagrass & algae, 4 whales & dolphins, 2 other, 2 crabs & lobsters, 1 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Red lionfish (Pterois miles) - Reef Fish
- Long-spined sea urchin (Diadema setosum) - Sea Urchins
- Silver-cheeked Toadfish (Lagocephalus sceleratus) - Reef Fish
- Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Redcoat (Sargocentron rubrum) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Hs (Halophila stipulacea) - Seagrass & Algae
- Studded Pufferfish (Torquigener flavimaculosus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Slender Seagrass (Cymodocea nodosa) - Seagrass & Algae
- Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Goldband Goatfish (Upeneus moluccensis) - Reef Fish
- Common Spiny Lobster (Palinurus elephas) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) - Reef Fish
- eelgrass (Zostera marina) - Seagrass & Algae
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Red Band-fish (Cepola macrophthalma) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Orak Island
Based on average water temperature of 18.9°C.
- 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