TRAVEL: Zenobia Wreck Dive, Cyprus

Please note that everything I did on this trip was done with utmost care and attention to corona regulations. If you're going to travel, travel safe!  

After my first few days in Cyprus (check that out here), I was so excited to do one of the top rated activities in the country. I was collected by Kyle in the early morning before heading to the Alpha Divers shop to get suited and booted. We made our way to the marina and aboard a small boat to set sail for the Zenobia Shipwreck.

About a kilometre and a half from the shore, we stopped the boat and got ready to descend. With dive guide Kyle, I headed down, down, down, to the uppermost side of the ship. Covered in 40 years of sea life, the ship was teeming with life - groupers, parrot fish, lionfish, sea cucumbers, and we were super lucky to even see a turtle!

The ship itself is vast, with depths ranging from around 15 - 42 metres, and I found it more serene than spooky to float around and see the railings, rotors, windows, and lifeboats.

After about 40 minutes, we headed back to the surface for a break before our next dive. While sitting on board, I saw something off to the side - dolphins! I gathered the crew to come look, and we drove the boat to follow them, eventually ending up with some dolphins jumping alongside our boat. I was later told this was the first time in over a year that dolphins had been spotted here - what luck!

We returned to the dive site for dive 2. This time, Kyle and I explored the rest of the ship, spotting starfish clinging to the sides. As divers can head inside the ship, it almost looked like it was breathing, with trails of air bubbles exploding out of open windows.

We dove in through a window into the canteen and it was crazy to see the inside, with natural light and divers torched illuminating the walls, staircases, and windows. What I found crazier still was a trapped air bubble that you could stick your head into and breathe without the oxygen tank. So very bizarre considering that we were 20 metres under the sea.

We began our ascent and waited 3 minutes below the surface to avoid problems. Looking up at the bottom of our boat, I understood what had attracted Nemo to touch the boat - it really does look quite special from down below. Taking one last look at the wreck and the beauty of all of rising bubbles from divers below, we made our way back to the surface and then towards home.

If you're into scuba diving and find yourself in Cyprus, I cannot recommend this excursion enough! I'm keen to try out some more dive sites around the world, so if you have any suggestions of must-dives, please let me know by dropping a message in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry. Thanks so much for reading!