Combined forces in Greece

Because Greece has a coastline of 13,676 kilometers (8,498 miles), the largest in the Mediterranean, this chapter generally works with a strong combination of international Ghost Diving volunteers, reinforced with local divers. Due to the many diving centers in Greece, we work efficiently with those closest to the target location and adequately equipped to support our activities. One of the most famous is Scubalife in Palaia Fokaia which took us to the shipwreck of the MV Pilaros and an ancient aquaculture in Patroklos.

We were represented by three nationalities in this project, to start with it was organized by Ghost Diving Germany and both Greek and Dutch Ghost Divers were invited to join forces for a healthier marine environment. All diving actions took place in the waters of the Saronic Gulf.

The first target was the shipwreck of the MV Pilaros, this wreck resting at a maximum depth of 52 meters has collected a large package of fishing nets over many years. Various species could be found there, gill nets, trawler nets but also a large collection of sports fishing gear. This time the action involved an extensive survey and preparatory work for a large-scale recovery that will take place in a later stage. The nets were enormously overgrown with shellfish, all empty, which required a specific way of working. We will come back to this in detail later.

The second goal was a continuation of one of our regular projects: Cleaning up an abandoned aquaculture next to Patroklos Island. Here we have recovered more than a dozen large aquaculture nets in recent years, but also quite a few gilt nets, which in their area are very dangerous for marine life. These dives were again no exception, the recovered nets barely fit on the boat.

Thank you all for the smooth collaboration, it was an honor to work with you.

Pascal van Erp, Global Coordinator | Ghost Diving