The most outstanding feature of the Turkey's seas is the remains of past civilizations. Hundreds of underwater wrecks lie on the bottom, waiting to be discovered and explored. For example, world's oldest known shipwreck, which dates back from the 14th century B.C., lies off Uluburun, near the town of Kas. Other interesting wrecks are the Glass Wreck (11th century) in Serce Limani, Marmaris and the Bronze Age Wreck (12th century B.C.) in Bodrum. Renowned American underwater archeologist George F. Bass and scientists from the Institute of Nautical Archeology (INA) have discovered and mapped more than 125 shipwrecks off the Turkish coast.

Turkish waters are also home to a large number of wrecks from recent times. The Gallipoli campaign during the WW1 left many wrecks in the Straits of Dardanelles and around the Gallipoli peninsula. Diving to these wrecks of the French and British WW1 destroyers and cruisers is an unforgettable experience and provides fascinating material for underwater photographers. There are also numerous wrecks of aircraft shot down in Turkish waters during WW2, the most famous one being the Italian fighter plane in Kas. Bosphorus also offers a large numbers of diveable wrecks but this needs advanced training because of the dangerously high currents of the straits.

As far as cave diving is concerned, Turkey offers a lot of potential. A recent expedition organized by a Turkish-American team including American cave divers Todd Kincaid and Jarrod Jablonski, resulted in the discovery of "Asia's largest cave".

Although the shipwrecks can be found anywhere, it is not the same with marine life. Like any other sea except tropical seas, fish and other marine creatures obey some natural rules and are subject to local and/or seasonal migrations. These migrations are functions of typical parameters like temperature, salinity, food resources, turbidity and sea states. This means that you need to be at the right place at the right time to be able to see and photograph them. One day they're there in hundreds, next day not even one. Predicting where the fish will be at what time requires a lot of local knowledge and not every dive center is capable of doing that. Ask other people who took the same trip beforehand and make sure that you're going out with the right guys. Or you may not be able to see even one fish. As far as invertebrates and small fish like wrasses, gobies and sea breams are concerned, they can be seen and photographed during every dive.

The temperate climate along the Mediterranean and southern Aegean coast makes diving with a wetsuit possible all year round, although the seven months between April and October are reckoned to be ideal. Late fall, after the first rain, is the best time to be down if you're interested in seeing fish activity.

Diving along Turkey's coasts meets all expectations of a sport diver. These waters are still the cleanest and bluest of any in the Mediterranean, and the sensation of flying through them into the depths is an exceptional experience.