Pristine waters teeming with marine life: a deep dive into the Greek island of Alonissos

"The National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, established in 1992, is Greece's largest working marine protected area. The protective measures appear to be working, judged by the size, abundance and diversity of marine life—glassy waters teeming with colourful fish and precious shells make swimming here an absolute dream."

"Ikion is partnering with the universities of Thessaloniki and the Aegean to offer free snorkelling and diving trips logging native and alien species. Everyone buddies up and completes gentle transects of the reef, documenting the sea of colour: reds and blues, yellows, silver and gold, with friendly wrasse, painted combers, sizeable parrotfish and salema porgy."

Alonissos in Greece hosts the National Marine Park of Alonissos Northern Sporades, established in 1992 as Greece's largest operational marine protected area. The protective measures have proven effective, resulting in abundant and diverse marine life including notably large groupers. The region features Greece's first underwater archaeological park with the Peristera wreck containing fifth-century BC amphorae. Ikion Diving partners with universities to conduct citizen science through the Highly Protected Mediterranean Initiative, offering free snorkelling and diving trips where participants log native and alien species. Divers document colorful reef inhabitants including wrasse, parrotfish, and salema porgy while monitoring for invasive species.

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