Crete
Greece · Mediterranean
Greece's largest island rewards divers with cave systems, sea fan gardens, and imposing wall dives, best explored between May and November when visibility regularly exceeds 30 m and water temperatures climb to 25 C. Chania's northwest coast hides the spectacular Elephant Cave, while the northern shelf near Heraklion hosts rare gorgonian forests at manageable depths.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is busy.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
21 species across the dive sites here
Balkan Green Lizard
Seen 1 month ago
at Elephant Cave
Least concern
Eurasian Coot
Seen 1 month ago
at Elephant Cave
Least concern
Hooded Crow
Seen 1 month ago
at Steno
Loggerhead sea turtle
Seen 1 month ago
at Steno
Vulnerable
Cretan Wall Lizard
Seen 1 month ago
at Elephant Cave
Least concern
Posidonia seagrass
Seen 2 months ago
at Steno
Least concern
Mediterranean moray
Seen 2 months ago
at Elephant Cave
Least concern
Common octopus
Seen 2 months ago
at Steno
Least concern
Common Buzzard
Seen 3 months ago
at Elephant Cave
Least concern
Glassfish
Seen 10 months ago
at Elephant Cave
Least concern
Salema porgy
Seen 11 months ago
at Steno
Least concern
Dentex
Seen May 2025
at Cape Stavros Wall
Vulnerable
Banded moray
Seen year round
at Heraklion Sea Fan Gardens
Least concern
Brittlestar
Seen year round
at Cape Stavros Wall
European seabass
Seen year round
at Elephant Cave
Near threatened
Gorgonian sea fan
Seen year round
at Cape Stavros Wall
Mediterranean black coral
Seen year round
at Cape Stavros Wall
Stalactite sponge
Seen year round
at Elephant Cave
Yellow gorgonian
Seen year round
at Heraklion Sea Fan Gardens
Spotted sea hare
Seasonal visitor
at Heraklion Sea Fan Gardens
Swordfish
Seasonal visitor
at Heraklion Sea Fan Gardens
Near threatened
Dive sites
Elephant Cave
mediterranean moray · glassfish · stalactite sponge · european seabass
Cape Stavros Wall
gorgonian sea fan · mediterranean black coral · dentex · brittlestar
Steno
posidonia seagrass · common octopus · salema porgy · loggerhead sea turtle
Heraklion Sea Fan Gardens
yellow gorgonian · spotted sea hare · banded moray · swordfish