The Aegean city of Balıkesir”s Ayvalık district, one of the two places in the world where red corals live, has opened its tourism season. The district, which is also a significant diving spot, makes a good promotion of red corals and attracts domestic and foreign diving buffs who are interested in this type of coral
The tourism season has started in Ayvalık, in the Aegean city of Balıkesir, that hosts many local and foreign divers in its 24 islands and 60 diving spots. The district is also one of two places in the world which is home to red corals.
There are two diving centers in the district and the first divers of the new season were a team of 20 members. “We have big goals in diving tourism this season,” said Kemal Çalışkan, diving instructor and the owner of a diving center. He said diving is possible in Ayvalık seven days a week, adding that training continued throughout the season.
Çalışkan said those who performed diving for the fist time in their life thought the underwater world as they saw in documentaries, but experiencing it was very different. “We have carried out a very good promotional campaign for 2008 season. We expect many diving enthusiasts to come to Ayvalık, especially the ones from abroad. We will do our best so that Ayvalık gets what it deserves in the field of diving” he said.
He noted that in the previous year nearly 4,000 people went diving in the region and they expect three or four times as many this season.
Red corals Red corals are considered one of the most important aspects of the underground richness of Ayvalık.
“What we call red coral is actually a forest formed by animals called Gorgonio. Everyone calls them “plant” but they are living creatures. Red coral shelter in Ayvalık because of its clean water, heat and strong flow," Çalışkan said. "This type of corals can only be found in Ayvalık in Turkey. They are also found in Italy”s Portofino. Foreigners began to be interested in red corals as we promoted them to the world. We told them that Ayvalık was a rival for the Red Sea thanks to sheltering this type of coral. As a result, very important European magazines promoted Ayvalık. And divers from Turkey and abroad began to come Ayvalık to see red corals.”
Domestic News - Resource: Anatolia News Agency
