Diving

Diving in the waters of Kish Island
Kish Island, in terms of natural environment, is one of the most pristine areas of the Persian Gulf, and it can be said with confidence that the eastern coral reefs of Kish Island encompass some of the richest and most beautiful and most suitable diving sites in our country. The coral cover of this island is located on its eastern shores and is visited every year by many diving enthusiasts. Diving in Kish is possible year-round, and the shallow sites of this island are very suitable for all divers and even beginners. The existence of diving training and recreational centers in Kish has turned this island into the country's diving hub. Below we introduce the coral and suitable diving sites of this island:
Big Coral and Jurassic Park:
Among the island’s beautiful sites are the Big Coral and Jurassic Park sites. These coral reefs, located east of the island, have a rich and beautiful ecosystem that dazzles the eyes of thousands of Iranian and foreign divers throughout the year. The depth of these two sites at full tide exceeds 6 to 8 meters and at low tide is less than 5 meters. These sites host a wide variety of marine life.
Among the types of fish are: surgeonfish - pompano - grouper - jash - sardine - barracuda - tuna - stingray - moray eel - stonefish - scorpionfish - clownfish and reef shark, as well as rays. Various lobsters and hawksbill and greenback turtles, as well as plate and brain corals and sometimes types of soft coral are seen at this site. The coral cover of the site, which runs north-south as a band along the shore, is denser in the south and less so in the north.
To access these sites you can use the diving centers on the island and diving boats, or you can drive to the Simorgh Hotel beach and from there easily reach the Big Coral site. This site is very suitable for snorkeling and also night dives.
Also at the Big Coral site very beautiful submerged rocks appear that are full of small creatures including various crabs, shrimps and sea spiders which are very suitable for macro photography.
Saturn Kark:
Another diving site around Kish Island is Saturn Kark or the southern fissure, which is very beautiful but, due to relative remoteness, receives fewer visitors.
This reef is located 3 miles south of the island and consists of a fissure that continues to depths of up to 22 meters. Access to this site is only possible by boat and through surface centers of Kish Island.
Marine life observed at this site includes large schools of barracuda, blacktip and batfish. Considering the water current in this area, diving at this site requires considerable experience and skill in diving and is not suitable for novices.
Dama Ship:
This Senegalese cargo ship, which lies at a depth of 33 meters in the southeast waters of Kish, signaled a distress situation on an autumn night in 2005 due to engine room flooding, but refused assistance; the next morning it inexplicably sank and took its mysterious secret to the depths forever. Subsequent investigations showed that the ship's documents had been tampered with and the ship was introduced as 10 years younger than its construction date. This was sufficient reason for insurance companies not to pay for the ship and the cargo aboard, including the kitchen sink, ceramics and boards. In any case, this ship, now after a short time resting in the depths, has become an artificial habitat for marine life and also a new diving site.
Diving around this wreck, which lies 4 miles from the island on its starboard side, does not require special skill, but to enter the ship's interior, completing a wreck diving specialty course is mandatory.
Entry into the ship's interior is possible through the command cabin window and passing through the rear corridor of the command cabin and entering through its door will lead you to the kitchen and the dormitory. The ship's propeller, which is a suitable place for photography, is located at a depth of 30 meters. Marine life in this area includes batfish, barracuda, various jobfish, seabream and also stingrays. Reaching this wreck, which is a beautiful and suitable place for training in wreck diving specialty, is only possible by diving boats, but I will also provide you its GPS coordinates which are as follows
26 29 797 N
054 04 431 E
Kolbeh Hur:
This site, located on the westernmost cape of Kish Island and at a place of the same name, is also one of the suitable diving points on Kish Island, especially when eastern winds make diving on the island's eastern shores unfavorable.
Entry to the site is possible via its small southern beach or via the rocky western cliff. The seabed of the site is rocky and its marine life includes grouper, seabream, jobfish, various shells and turtles. Also on its southern shore (the entry and exit point to the site) there is a small cave 5 meters long, passing through which at full tide is very enjoyable. The depth of the Kolbeh Hur diving site increases from north to south and continues up to 8 meters.
Greek Ship:
This location, which has attracted less attention than other sites, is also a suitable diving spot on Kish Island when eastern winds make the island's eastern beaches unfavorable. Although the 4 to 5 meter depth of the water at this site does not make diving equipment necessary and your curiosity can be satisfied by snorkeling, the pleasure of visiting the propeller of this very famous ship while diving is indescribable. The water depth at the propeller is 8 meters and the seabed around this ship, beached, is covered with iron and steel pieces. Interestingly, the presence of iron oxide in this area has caused the sands around the Greek ship to turn reddish.
Access to the site is facilitated by stairs provided in the coastal park opposite the ship and by surface swimming you can easily reach the anchor chain in a few minutes. Also visiting the interior of this ship is possible from its northern opening. However, entering the hull is very dangerous due to its decay.
Sambarun Site:
This beautiful and hidden site, located west of Kish and between Kish Island and Hendurabi, is also one of the most beautiful coral reefs around Kish, and if weather conditions are favorable and you can reach this point, you can enjoy one of the most beautiful diving moments in the Persian Gulf. Access to the Sambarun site is possible by renting a boat daily from Kish harbor and also when returning from Hendurabi. The distance from Sambarun to Kish is 10 and to Hendurabi 7 kilometers.
The depth of this underwater mound is 10 to 12 meters and different species of Persian Gulf marine life have settled here. This site is suitable for night diving and snorkeling, but one must consider the relatively strong current of water at this point.