Mike loves to scuba dive. LOVES it. He started when he was stationed in Hawaii, but I think he got hooked when they were "stuck" in Guam for six weeks. He jumps on any opportunity to do it. Turkey isn't on any of the Top Ten Diving Locations, but he couldn't pass on an opportunity to dive in the Mediterranean. In Hawaii and Guam, diving is a morning thing. You leave at 8:00am, do two dives and are back by 1:00pm. Here in Turkey, you do two dives, but you're gone all day. It's not ideal because there is a lot of down time on the boat, but you usually have good scenery and as long as you're prepared with a book, it can be a fun day.
There are tons of dive boats lined up along the boardwalk, all advertising dive trips. We just picked one and went with it. Most of the boats will allow ride alongs (me!) and have snorkel gear for them to use while the divers are out. The boat we chose was pretty big and had probably 50 passengers plus maybe 10 crew members. The downstairs of the boat had a few tables in the back, plus a small bar where you could order drinks, but the front was completely dedicated to all of the gear for the divers. There was a second floor where most people hung out. They had mats for you to lie on and sunbathe, which was really nice. Mike and I grabbed a spot in the sun and spent the first hour soaking it all in.
Right before our first stop, Mike said he was feeling a little sea sick and I thought it was funny because I felt fine and I am notorious for being seasick in even the calmest of waters. They called Mike and the other divers down to start putting on their gear and I stayed up top to keep soaking in the rays. As soon as Mike left, the seasickness hit me and I made a beeline for the bathroom. After that little fiasco, I felt better and noticed that, throughout the day, I wasn't the only one who made that sprint. Luckily, Mike never felt that bad and we both seemed to recover by the time we made it to the first dive site.
Most of the people on the boat were divers, but there was a decent group of people just along for the ride and for some swimming. At the first stop, we let the divers jump in before getting in ourselves. This was my first time in the Mediterranean and it is as beautiful to swim in as it is to look at. It's SUPER salty, which makes it easy to swim because you can float without even really trying to keep your head above water. Not only that, but it's so clear. You can see your feet, even if the water is up to your shoulders. Perfect snorkeling/diving water.
While there wasn't a ton to see, it was great to be able to swim and cool off before boarding the boat. After the first dive, they served lunch, which consisted of rice, a chicken patty type thing, salad and water melon. The afternoon was pretty similar to the morning and we soaked up the day. Luckily, the sea sickness never came back and we had a successful day diving and swimming.
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| This boat looks pretty similar to ours, with a deck on the top. |
We were pretty tired by the time the boat returned to the dock and the thought of a big dinner and late night was pretty unappealing. Fethiye has TONS of British tourists and everything there is catered towards British culture, including some of the restaurants. Another restaurant in the Lonely Planet book that was recommended was Arty's Place, which was a little fish and chips restaurant. Mike loves fish and chips and I like them, as well, so this was a great, easy, cheap meal. It lived up to the hype of the review and we left very full and happy. Plus, we got to meet Arty!
We called it a night after some midye dolma and a skype session with my parents. We were leaving the next morning so we packed up and said goodnight.
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