Nea Kameni Crater
Santorini · Greece
One of the only places in Europe where divers can descend alongside an active submarine volcanic feature. Warm hydrothermal vents at 10 to 18 m release continuous streams of gas bubbles and heat the surrounding water by 3 to 5 degrees above ambient. The lava formations are raw and angular compared with older reef structures: black basalt fingers and sulphur-stained vents colonised by tube worms and thermophilic algae. Marine life is sparse but bizarre, adapted to the chemical gradient around each vent.
Conditions
Depth
8 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
15 to 28°C
3 mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 17 |
| Vis (m) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 10 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Erhard'S Wall Lizard
Last confirmed Jul 2, 2026 · 99 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Hooded Crow
Last confirmed Jun 15, 2026 · 28 records
Very likely
Most dives
Chocolate-Band Snail
Last confirmed May 17, 2026 · 19 records
Very likely
Most dives
Chukar
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 19 records
Very likely
Most dives
Mediterranean rainbow wrasse
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Salema porgy
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Mediterranean tube worm
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear