flowerpecker:
I've got 4-6 days in mid-September to spend somewhere in the Mediterranean or Aegean area - any opinions on which country/town would be best for that time period? I'm interested primarily in good sea life, but wouldn't mind the opportunity to do some wreck dives (I've done one already, and thought it was pretty neat!). I've only got 15 dives so far, so I'm still a beginner. I'm also NOT interested in fancy resorts or hotels, so a place with those facilities isn't a priority for me.
I haven't been diving everywhere in Turkey yet but I've been diving around Fethiye and around Dalyan and from what I've seen you can expect clear water, lots of old stuff on the bottom, a few more modern wrecks and some interesting caves, caverns and lava formations. You won't see big fish on every dive. There are no more sharks, no coral, no swarms of tropicl fishes and the effects of over fishing are clear everywhere you look. The same will be true wherever you go in the Mediteranian. If you compare the med in your mind to Egypt you'll be disappointed but if you take it for what it is, you'll have a great time and there are loads of excellent dive sites.
What you *will* see are cuttlefish, many smaller fishes, lots of octopus (once you know what to look for), small baracuda, squid and that kind of thing. Squid and cuttlefish are migratory but I think in Sepember you still stand a good chance of seeing them. I've also seen trumpet fish and sea horses in Turkey so here and there you will find refugees from teh Red Sea if you look hard enough.
I don't know anything specific about Greece, I've only been snorkelling there, but in terms of Turkey the further to the south you go the more interesting it gets. There must be good diving in Antalya but I haven't been there yet. I can recommend European divers in Fethiye. The diving is good and the dive center is top notoch. They also have special boats for beginners and advanced divers, which is somethign to look for. It's hard to cater to everyone if the experience levels are too diverse.
In terms of conditions, you should expect water temperatures between 23 and 25C. Visibility is virtually unlimited and the water is very salty. You'll probably be using AL-80s but steel tanks can be found and the chances are that you'll need to 3mm full body suit.
Hope that gives you a start.
R..
