Karaada Hot Springs Reef
Bodrum · Turkey
Karaada — Black Island — hosts a remarkable geothermal feature where warm mineral-rich water seeps through fissures in the volcanic rock, creating a thermal gradient that supports a unique micro-ecosystem found nowhere else on the Turkish coast. Schools of salema orbit the warm plumes while moray eels and octopus tuck into the fractured basalt. The vivid red and orange encrusting sponges that carpet the walls here thrive on the mineral upwelling, making macro photography exceptional.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 22 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
14 to 29°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 15 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 16 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Greek Tortoise
Last confirmed Jun 20, 2026 · 41 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Chocolate-Band Snail
Last confirmed Jun 24, 2026 · 20 records
Very likely
Most dives
House Sparrow
Last confirmed Jun 20, 2026 · 23 records
Very likely
Most dives
Laughing Dove
Last confirmed Jun 26, 2026 · 23 records
Very likely
Most dives
Mediterranean Moray
Last confirmed Jul 8, 2025 · 7 records
Very likely
Most dives
Eurasian Jay
Last confirmed Jun 11, 2026 · 9 records
Very likely
Most dives
Common Octopus
Last confirmed Jul 8, 2025 · 4 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Salema
Last confirmed Aug 11, 2025 · 4 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Gear