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Scuba Diving
in Croatia
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Croatia’s Adriatic Sea is not only an attractive nautical destination, but it also draws many lovers of the underwater world. The clarity of its turquoise waters, the beauty of its depths, the variety of marine life and the fascinating shipwrecks hidden at the bottom of the sea, are all part of its appeal.
There are numerous diving centres and clubs along the coast of Croatia. They cater for the inexperienced diver as much as for the experienced and offer courses which are both accessible and affordable. They also hire equipment and offer excursions that are within easy reach.
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For your safety and for the reputation of the industry, diving centres are strictly controlled by the Ministry for Maritime Affairs (please see below the general regulations for diving). With a sea so beautiful as the Adriatic, it’s no surprise that a lot of the diving clubs have been around for decades and so are very knowledgeable of their areas, knowing the best and most interesting places to dive - and the safest.
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Shipwrecks are relatively common on the Adriatic seabed and most, like the German U boat off the Istrian coast in the picture, date from the Second World War. Wrecks from antiquity are known but their whereabouts are usually kept secret and to discover new ones is quite rare - but you never know!
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The Greek amphora shown in the picture were discovered recently at Jakirusa on the Makarska Riviera. It is important to report finds like this to the authorities (like the police) straight away so they can protect the site from pillagers. It is actually a criminal offence to remove objects of antiquity from the sea. If you can’t take the objects you find how nice it would be though to be the discoverer of them.
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Owing to the unusual geology of the area, called karst, underwater caves are very common and some actually have rivers coming out of them. Some clubs include cave dives in their excursions although the deepest caves, some going down over 100 m, are reserved for only the very experienced divers. Diving in Croatia need not be so adventurous, nearly everywhere on the coast provides excellent diving with a minimum of risk.
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