Under the surface
Marine life in Crete: what lives off the south coast
The animals we actually see on this coast, photographed here by us rather than borrowed from a stock library. Fewer colours than a tropical reef, more to find than you would think.
What to expect from Mediterranean marine life
If you have dived the Red Sea or the tropics, reset your expectations before you get in. The Mediterranean does not have coral reefs or walls of colourful fish. What it has is rock: overgrown, full of cracks and overhangs, with animals that live by not being seen.
That changes how you dive. The reward here is not being surrounded, it is finding something that was there all along: an octopus watching you from a hole, a scorpionfish you almost put your hand on, a nudibranch the size of a fingernail. People who slow down and look closely come up with more stories than people who swim fast and look far.
The fish and animals you are likely to see
Every photograph below was taken on this coast, by us, on ordinary days. This is not a complete list of what lives off Crete. It is the animals we see often enough to have pictures of, and it is what we would tell you to look for.
Lionfish
Striped, slow and unmistakable. A newcomer to this sea, and two guests named it in their reviews before we thought to photograph it.
Octopus
In a den under a ledge, often with shell fragments piled at the entrance. Once you spot the pile, you find them everywhere.
Cuttlefish
Hovers and changes colour while it watches you. The most reliably curious animal on this coast.
Nudibranch
A few centimetres long, and the reason divers start looking at the rock instead of the blue.
Scorpionfish
Sits still on the reef, coloured exactly like it. You will swim past several without seeing one.
Cleaner shrimp
White antennae waving from a crack in the rock. Small, and worth stopping for.
Where on this coast to see what
Schinaria is the site for animals in the rock. Its boulders, channels and cave give octopus and moray eels plenty of places to sit, and they sit still enough that you will miss them if you rush. It is worth diving slowly along the walls and looking into every crack.
Peristerovolakas, near Souda, is a long shallow reef sloping into blue. When the north wind blows, it pushes most of the local Mediterranean species into this stretch, and on those days there is more moving here than anywhere else we dive. The old harbour of Damnoni is gentle and shallow, with deeper gorges further out, and good for anyone who wants to learn to spot animals before going deeper.
Are there sea turtles in Crete?
Yes, loggerhead turtles nest on Crete, on long sandy beaches elsewhere on the island. Not on this stretch of coast, though, and we have not seen one while guiding here, which is why there is no photograph of one on this page.
We would rather tell you that than put a turtle in a picture and let you plan a trip around it. If turtles are the point of your holiday, look for the nesting beaches and the conservation groups that work on them. If you want caves, walls, and the animals above, this coast is the right one.
How to see more
Slow down. Most of the animals here depend on camouflage, and camouflage only works against a moving eye. Hover, look at one patch of rock for a while, and it starts to move.
Look for signs rather than animals. A pile of empty shells outside a hole usually means an octopus is at home. A crack with white antennae waving from it is cleaner shrimp. The same reef is visible from the surface on the shallow sites, so snorkellers see much of this too.
Marine life in Crete: common questions
- Is there anything dangerous in the water?
- Nothing that hunts people. The things to respect are small: sea urchins on the rocks at entries and exits, and the venomous spines of scorpionfish and lionfish, which are only a problem if you touch them. Watch where you put your hands and feet, and wear water shoes on the stones.
- Why are there lionfish in Crete?
- Lionfish came into the eastern Mediterranean from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal and have spread along the coasts in recent years. They are striking to see, but they are newcomers competing with local fish, not part of the original life of this sea.
- Are there sharks off Crete?
- The Mediterranean has sharks, Crete included, but mostly far offshore and deep. Meeting one on a dive or while snorkelling near the shore is extremely unlikely. The sea urchins deserve more of your attention.
- When is the best time to see marine life?
- The animals in this guide live here, so they are not seasonal visitors you have to time. The water is most comfortable from summer into autumn. Days with a north wind are often the best at Peristerovolakas, which is when we try to dive it.
- Can I touch the animals?
- Please do not. It stresses the animals, damages the growth on the rock, and several of them have spines that will ruin your day. Watch closely instead: you will see more of their behaviour that way.
Come and look for them
Tell us whether you dive, snorkel or have never tried either, and when you are here. We will suggest where the animals are most likely to show themselves on your days.
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