Located in the European part of Turkey, the Gallipoli Peninsula has access to the Aegean Sea on the west and the Dardanelles Strait on the east. The peninsula itself is about 90 kilometers long and has the status of a national park. On the other side of the strait is the town of Canakkale, which is connected to the peninsula by a bridge and permanent ferry lines. The history of this part of the world was very turbulent. One of the bloodiest battles during World War I took place on Gallipoli and lasted for eight months. In that conflict, between the Entente powers (with allies) and Turkey, 200,000 people died on both sides, and almost twice as many were wounded. Land conflicts were preceded by a naval battle, which is the main reason for our arrival in this part of the world.

The Battle of Cannakale lasted from March 3, 1914 to November 18, 1915. It began with bombing of the Turkish coastal fortifications at the entrance to the Dardanelles. In that wave, many fortifications were severely damaged or even destroyed. The key moment was the placement of underwater mines and obstacles in the strait, which were atypically placed by the Turkish minesweeper “Nusret”, outside of the naval schemes. Historians say that it was Turkey’s “last card”, because they no longer had underwater mines, and the coastal artillery was running out of ammunition. However, the tactic proved to be successful and the Entente forces lost a third of their fleet in the Dardanelles. When you add the successful attacks of German submarines (which were fighting on the Turkish side) that managed to sink the British command ship HMS Majestic, it was obvious that the luck was smiling on the Turkish side.

Underwater museum

The area around the Gallipoli Peninsula was off-limits for diving for many years. Three years ago, this ban was lifted and underwater history became available to divers from all over the world. The historical heritage is managed by the Gallipoli Historical Underwater Museum from Cannakale, which properly represents and popularizes these diving sites. For divers who love history and who are fans of sunken ships, Gallipoli is a must-see. There are 37 shipwrecks in the underwater museum. However, some of them are still not open for diving. There are 22 shipwrecks available, 14 of which are for recreational divers and 8 for technical divers. To fully experience most sites, diving experience is required. However, some of these, with the excellent management of local diving centers, are also available for beginners. Visibility can vary (but you  can always count on over 10 meters at least) as well as currents, which are very specific for these waters.

During our stay we managed to visit HMS Majestic, Helles Barges, HMS Louis, Lundy, Airburna Barge … There were some other locations planned, but the weather conditions were not suitable. Therefore, there is always something left for the next time. Considering the traditional hospitality of the Turkish hosts, Gallipoli is a place that should be visited again and again.

Text and photos by Janez Kranjc.

For more info, see: Homepage – Gallipoli Historical Underwater Park (divinggelibolu.com)

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