Дайв-сайты: Muğla Province

While Afkule Bay is a single dramatic site focused on a collapsed cave and wall dive, the Twelve Islands area offers a broader range of diving across multiple sites within a sheltered archipelago. The islands provide different environments from shallow reefs and seagrass meadows to caves, swim-throughs, and deeper walls. The area is also more consistently sheltered from wind and current than exposed coastal sites, making it accessible across a wider range of conditions and skill levels. Boats typically visit two or three different island sites in a single day trip.

The Gulf of Fethiye was part of the ancient Lycian civilisation and a major maritime trade route for centuries. As a result, amphora fragments and pottery shards are scattered across many reef areas around the islands. These are not managed archaeological sites but rather incidental finds that have become part of the reef landscape over millennia. Turkish law strictly prohibits the removal of any archaeological objects from the sea, and dive operators brief all divers on these regulations. The combination of natural marine life and ancient artefacts adds a unique historical dimension to the diving.

Loggerhead sea turtles are regularly seen around the Twelve Islands from June through October, with the highest frequency in July and August during the nesting season. The turtles feed on jellyfish and crustaceans in the warm shallow waters between the islands and often approach divers with curiosity. While sightings are not guaranteed, experienced guides report encountering turtles on roughly half of summer dives. The nearby Dalyan beach is one of Turkey's most important loggerhead nesting sites, which supports a healthy population throughout the Fethiye Gulf.