The Saros Gulf, widely regarded as one of Türkiye’s premier diving destinations, is attracting growing numbers of underwater photography enthusiasts with its crystal-clear waters, rich biodiversity and colorful marine habitats.
Beneath the surface, the gulf is home to a remarkable variety of marine species, natural and artificial reefs and historic shipwrecks, providing photographers with opportunities to document everything from tiny sea slugs and corals to large schools of fish. Fatma Kadın Cove has become one of the region’s best-known sites for diving and underwater photography, welcoming both experienced divers and newcomers eager to explore the area’s marine life.
To help divers improve their skills, photography workshops are regularly organized in the gulf, combining practical dives with training sessions on underwater lighting, composition and camera techniques. Participants receive hands-on guidance before reviewing and discussing the images captured during their dives.
Underwater photography instructor Bülent Şelli, who recently led a macro photography workshop at Fatma Kadın Cove in cooperation with the Dalabilirim Diving and Training Center, said the courses are intended to help both beginners and experienced hobbyists develop their photographic techniques while gaining a better understanding of the underwater environment.
He explained that participants first complete dives before evaluating their photographs together, allowing instructors to identify areas for improvement in composition, exposure and lighting while encouraging divers to observe marine life more carefully.
Şelli described the Saros Gulf as one of Türkiye’s most valuable marine ecosystems, emphasizing that its ecological richness extends far beyond the colorful species visible to divers.
“The Saros Gulf is an extremely important area for marine biodiversity in Türkiye and a precious ecosystem,” he said. “It has a very strong ecological structure, beginning with Posidonia seagrass meadows, continuing through brown algae forests and extending to coralligenous habitats.”
He stressed that the area deserves stronger protection measures, arguing that not only fishing but also recreational diving should be more carefully managed because of the ecosystem’s fragile balance.
According to Şelli, workshop participants encountered an impressive variety of marine species during their dives, adding that the abundance of fish observed in the gulf is rarely seen elsewhere in the Aegean Sea.
Diving instructor Onur Acar said the Saros Gulf is one of Türkiye’s finest underwater photography destinations and noted that it is also considered one of the world’s few self-cleaning gulfs because of its unique current system.
He explained that the region’s cold-water currents create ideal conditions for macro marine life, making the gulf especially attractive to underwater photographers seeking to capture small and rarely seen species.
Acar also said diving tourism in the area has expanded in recent years following the opening of World War I shipwrecks to recreational diving by the Gallipoli Historical Site Directorate. He noted that the wrecks have been secured with permanent mooring systems and buoys, allowing dive boats to access the sites safely without damaging the underwater environment.
He added that increasing underwater photography projects and exhibitions would play an important role in introducing the Saros Gulf’s underwater treasures to a wider international audience.
Workshop participant and underwater photographer Volkan Onur said the two dive sites explored during the program proved to be exceptional locations for macro photography.
During the dives, he photographed five or six different species of sea slugs, along with various sponges, gobies and scorpionfish, describing the biodiversity as remarkable.
Another participant, Işıl Özcan, said she has been interested in underwater photography for the past two years after realizing she wanted to document the scenes she encountered while diving.
She said the Saros Gulf exceeded her expectations because of its rich marine life and convenient location close to Istanbul, adding that she hopes to return for future dives and photography workshops.
