Saros Bay

Gallipoli · Çanakkale · Turkey

Saros Bay, located along the Gallipoli Peninsula in northwestern Turkey, offers a diving experience unlike any other in the country — the chance to explore WWI-era shipwrecks that serve as underwater memorials to one of the most consequential military campaigns of the twentieth century. The Gallipoli campaign of 1915 left numerous vessels on the seabed — warships, transport ships, and support vessels from multiple nations that sank during the fierce fighting in the Dardanelles. Today, several of these wrecks are accessible to recreational divers, resting at depths between 15 and 35 metres on the sandy and rocky bottom of Saros Bay. The wrecks have been underwater for over a century, and nature has thoroughly reclaimed them. Hulls are draped in sponges, hydroids, and soft corals, while the structural elements — gun mounts, anchor chains, portholes, and deck fittings — remain recognisable beneath the biological growth. Groupers have taken up residence in the engine rooms, conger eels lurk in the corridors, and schools of sea bream circle the superstructures. Diving these wrecks carries a weight of history that transcends normal recreational diving. These are not just fascinating underwater structures but memorials to thousands of soldiers and sailors from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire who lost their lives. Divers are expected to treat the sites with appropriate reverence, and Turkish authorities enforce strict rules against artefact removal. The cooler waters and sometimes reduced visibility demand solid intermediate skills, but the reward is a profoundly moving dive experience that combines world history, marine archaeology, and the quiet beauty of the underwater world.