Diving Trip to Kefalonia
Friday 6 – Tuesday 10 June 2025
(The Holy Spirit's three-day holiday)
Hellas Underwater Explorers
Dive & Discover the legendary HMS Perseus Submarine & the Enchanting Lake Caves of Karavomylos and Zervatis in Kefalonia!
Hellas Underwater Explorers
organizes a unique diving trip in the lush green Kefalonia.
We will explore:
The legendary British submarine HMS Perseus
(see more here).
The amazing Karavomylos and Zervati Lake Caves
(under conditions) in the Sami area.
Maximum number of participants:
8 scuba divers.
The dives will be carried out in collaboration and with the support of
Blue Manta Diving Center
Excursion Program
Maximum number of participants: 8 scuba divers.
| Friday, June 6, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Departure | From Kyllini to Sami, Kefalonia. |
| Accomodation | Accommodation in accommodations in the picturesque village of Sami |
| Saturday, June 7, 2025 – 1st Diving Day | |
|---|---|
| Transportation | Skala (40 minutes drive) |
| Dive | HMS Perseus submarine with Blue Manta Diving Center. The British submarine PERSEUS had a displacement of 2040 tons. It had a crew of 59 men including the Greek Navy Lieutenant Commander, Nikolaos Merlin (Nikolaos Merlin (1912-1941), was a Greek officer in our Navy. His father was of French origin, but his family settled in our country at the end of the 19th century. Nikolaos Merlin's mother was from Kefalonia). Its qualities were unquestionable and impressive for its time: length 88.4 m. and width 9.12 m.; surface speed 17.5 knots and submerged 8.5; diving depth 152 m. It carried 14 torpedoes, had one cannon and two machine guns. On December 6, 1941, it hit a mine off the coast of Kefalonia (Skala area) and sank at a depth of 52 meters. The ship's location was unknown until Konstantinos Thoktaridis' team located it in February 1998. Of the 59 crew members, only 31-year-old sailor JOHN CAPES was rescued, who hid from villagers in the Skala area for 15 months before fleeing on Miltiadis Choumis' diesel-powered EVANGELISTRIA to Izmir. Greek Lieutenant Commander Nicole Merlin had himself requested to join the crew of PERSEUS. Much later, Merlin's name was given to the Navy ferry MERLIN, which had a tragic end in 1972 when it collided with the supertanker WORLD HERO off the port of Piraeus, dragging 44 people to a wet grave. The submarine is located at a depth ranging from 40-52 meters. Source: Christos Dounis Shipwrecks in the Greek Seas 1900-1950 Volume A |
| Depth | 40 meters |
| Required level | Advanced Diver + Deep Diver, with 40 dives in addition to the school dives. |
| Sunday, June 8, 2025 – 2nd Diving Day | |
|---|---|
| Dive | Karavomilos Lake Cave (Kefalonia). Karavomilos is a small fishing village, next to the lush Sami and very close to the famous Melissani Lake Cave. In Karavomilos, among lush vegetation, there is a small lake with crystal clear waters, many fish and a beautiful cave. The maximum depth is approximately 20 meters and the maximum penetration length (for certified cave divers) is 250 meters. Water temperature is 14 degrees Celsius. There is abundant stalactite and stalagmite material, air pockets and excellent visibility. The waters, after starting a route from the sinkholes of Argostoli and passing through Sotira, Agia Eleousa, Chiridoni, Melissani, Zervati (lake caves), end up here where they pour into the sea. Access is very comfortable. A suit that provides thermal protection is required. |
| Activity | Discover Cave Diving or Cave Diving for certified divers. |
| Required level | Advanced Diver – Deep Diver – Night Diver + 40 dives in addition to school dives. |
| Note | The program may change due to weather conditions. |
| Monday, June 9, 2025 – 3rd Day (optional, for those who wish to stay, an additional day) | |
|---|---|
| Dive | Zervatis Lake Cave (Discover or Cave Diving). The two small lake caves of Zervatis are located in the Karavomilos area of Kefalonia as well. They are hidden in a hidden paradise of wild vegetation in a small sinkhole. The caves have different dimensions, and present excellent water clarity. However, special attention is required to buoyancy so that one does not pick up sediment, resulting in subsequent divers not enjoying the cave. There is a beautiful decoration, the water temperature is 14 degrees Celsius, so a suit that offers good thermal protection is required. Visibility reaches approximately 40 meters. Both caves have beautiful stalactite and stalagmite material. One cave has a maximum depth of about 5 meters and a length of 40 meters. The second has a maximum depth of about 10 meters and a length of 130 meters. |
| Tuesday, June 10, 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Departure | From Sami to Kyllini |
Alternatives in Bad Weather
( Persea or Zervati)
Diving in the Luftwaffe Ju88 wreck in Ithaca. Depth: 20–37 meters. Requirements as above.
Excursion - Diving Organization
George Petrou – Instructor Trainer, Cave Diving Instructor.
Vassilis Petroulias – Advance Trimix Diver, Cave Diver.
Accommodation & Transportation
Participants are responsible for their own accommodation – possibility of shared or individual bookings in rooms or hotels.
Equipment
For Perseus: Rental from Blue Manta Diving Center or use of personal equipment.
For the lake caves: Full equipment (helmet provided by the organizers) 2 flashlights, short flippers, proper buoyancy.
Additional Activities
For those staying on Monday: Free hiking tour of the Sotira, Chiridoni & Aggalaki ravines (if permission is granted).
📣 Register Now!
For costs and details, contact us at
tel. +306937187204
(George Petrou)