Flora & Fauna
Even the first time scuba diver will experience the wonders of the underwater world, since all the dive sites chosen,
have an excellent selection of Mediterranean aquatic life, as well as spectacular topography.
A brief gallery of some of the sights to be seen during dives: Anemones, sponges, worms, sea cucumbers,
hard corals, algae, mermaid’s cup, sea urchins, sea stars, brittle stars, octopi, squid, cuttle fish, lobsters, fire worms,
flatworms, fan mussels, sea bream, groupers, damsel fish, combers, wrasses, gold line, cardinal fish, mullet, gunards,
scorpion fish, barracuda, tuna, weaver fish, morays, monk fish, blennies, gobies, brill and if lucky dolphins, seals and turtles.
PROTECTING OUR UNDERWATER WORLD
Aqua Divers Club, is extremely aware of the dangers of sea pollution and takes
an active role in the protection of the underwater environment.
Both student and certified divers are continually made aware of the problems associated with sea pollution and are encouraged on all dives to collect whatever trash they can find on the seabed, so long as they do not endanger or harm themselves.
Aqua Divers Club is a strong supporter of PADI’s Project Aware “Aquatic World Awareness, Responsibility and Education”, and undertakes a number of beach and underwater clean ups during the year and frequently makes presentations to students of local schools about the state of our seas.
These clean ups are coordinated with local schools, municipalities and port police in order to reach the largest possible audience and create increased awareness about the aquatic world.
Aqua Divers Club is an active participant in the annual world wide International Clean Up Day and Dive for Earth events and participated in the International Environmental Day Clean Up on June 5th 2004 as part of the celebrations that took place during the Athens Olympic Games 2004. This event was sponsored by the United Nations, the Athens Municipality and the Athens Environmental Foundation. Jean Michel Cousteau was actively involved in this event and led a team of divers.
Aqua Divers Club is a proud sponsor of ARCHELON, the sea turtle rescue centre, and organizes for schools and colleges Programmes, that link scuba diving activities with sea turtle activities. The club also makes a donation to this organization for every PADI diving certification issued as well as assisting in sea turtle releases.
Special Courses that are available to current and future underwater ecologists:
- PADI Project Aware.
- PADI Aware Kids programme.
Alexandros Frantzis, a famous Greek underwater photographer and biologist, summarized the situation with these words:
The maintenance of Nature’s balance and harmony is a much more anthropocentric problem than we care to believe.
Only man feels and is conscious of the beauty, grandeur and worth of the underwater world.
No animal, fish or plant on the planet has this privilege.
And yet we, who are the species the most mature in mind and spirit, destroy those things that we alone are capable of appreciating.
If there was an observer out there to see us, he would be astonished by the choices we make.
With what logic could these be explained?
There is no such observer and no one will judge our mistakes, and in the same way, no one will help us overcome the consequences.
The responsibility for the conservation of this paradise, is ours exclusively, it lies within ourselves. There is still time ..is there wisdom?
