- Yin Yang Blog
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by The Captain
Diving in Paros is one of the most exciting activities you could experience while in the island. Our partner party Paros Divers offers private and semi-private dives in groups of maximum 4 divers, PADI & IANTD Certified Courses (taking place in private) and the prices include training material, all necessary diving equipment, diving insurance and certification. They are open March to November. Are you ready to discover more?
According to Greek mythology, Amphitrite was one of the fifty Nereids. They were the nymphs worshiped as goddesses of the calm sea. Amphitrite according to Hesiod, was the daughter of Nereus and Doridas, one of the most beautiful Nereids, and Poseidon the god of the sea of rivers and fountains fell in love with her when he saw her dance and marry her. After her marriage to Poseidon, Amphitrite became queen of the sea and was called Poseidonia. Triton and several nymphs were born from Poseidon and Amphitrite. The sailors and the statues of Amphitrite were adorned by many ancient temples. She was the female personification of the sea the mother of whale fish and dolphins. She was often depicted holding the trident, a power she acquired when she became Poseidon’s wife.
The Aegean region and especially, the area of the Central Cyclades Islands comprised extended land fields at 420,000, 340,000, and 20,000 years before present (during the ice maxima of the Marine Isotope Stages 12, 10 and 2), when the climate was cold and the sea level was lower. This means that the Amphitrite Cave was functioning as a dry cave at these periods with an active secondary deposition of speleothems. The cave entrance which lies at a small depth and the geotectonic regime (Central Aegean Sea) characterized by subsidence, supports the location of Amphitrite at the vadose zone, only during the cold climatic periods and up to the re-establishment of warm climate and the sea level regaining.
The cave of Amphitrite is located on the SW side of Paros, amid a cluster of small islands. Amphitrite is the only known submarine cave in the Aegean sea and specifically in the Cyclades cluster. Its entrance is at -6m deep. Upon entering, there is a small cavern that reflects just a small fraction of the cave’s real beauty. Amphitrite has a very impressive decoration, with beautiful stalactite and stalagmite material enveloped in a delicate white sand veil. Amphitrite has 2 main lines. Line A is about 250m with a maximum depth of -24m and average depth at -17m. Line B about 150-180m and the maximum depth of -50m reaches. The cave has a steady temperature of 17-19 degrees Celsius all year round. In its depths, the diver will encounter a magnificent decoration, as the Amphitrite was a dry cave before 8.000-9.000 years ago. At -50m there are animal bone remains, probably from a turtle.
Paros Divers opened for its first season in summer 2017. We are a dive center that prides itself on offering safe, personal, and unforgettable diving experiences to our clients.
We offer only private cave dives & courses.
For visiting and diving in Amphitrite cave, please contact us via email: parosdivers@yahoo.com
