Milos, Cyclades, Greece

Sirina Reef

Sirina Reef is a freestanding volcanic pinnacle in the open water off the southwest coast of Milos in the Cyclades. The pinnacle rises from a sandy bottom at around 35 metres to within 8 metres of the surface, allowing a single-tank circumnavigation for advanced divers. Milos's substrate is dramatically volcanic, with sulphur-stained rock, hydrothermal vents and obsidian outcrops shaping much of the island's coastline, and Sirina shows the same character: pumice walls dotted with sea fans of Eunicella cavolinii, yellow cluster anemones, red sponges and bryozoans. Resident species include dusky grouper, brown meagre, Mediterranean moray, scorpionfish and common octopus, and the open-water position attracts pelagic visits from amberjack, bonito and seasonal schools of barracuda. Currents are often moderate because the pinnacle is exposed on all sides, and they concentrate plankton that in turn brings the larger predators in. The dive is suited to advanced open-water divers with drift-diving experience; access is by boat from Adamas.