Alaybey Vapuru Batığı

About Alaybey Vapuru Batığı

The Alaybey Vapuru Batığı is the wreck of the Alaybey, a former İzmir city ferry that was deliberately sunk off the islands near Karaburun in spring 2016 to form an artificial reef and support dive tourism. It lies close to its sister ship, the 9 Eylül, which was sunk under the same project. Both ferries had carried passengers across the Gulf of İzmir for around 40 years. According to the Karaburun District Governorship, the Alaybey and the 9 Eylül were sunk on 30 April and 1 May 2016 off Büyükada and Küçükada, with the aims of supporting coastal fishing, increasing biodiversity, creating new areas for sport fishing and diving, deterring illegal fishing and supporting research. The governorship notes that such reefs can double the number of fish species and families in an area. The dive: a local dive centre's SSI profile describes the Alaybey as an artificial reef that has become home to many creatures, with shoals of amberjack and bream, and advises divers to look closely at the ropes, where squid eggs can be found. Published dive guides give a depth of about 25 metres. Dives are made by boat from Karaburun with the local dive centres, usually combined with the island reef sites nearby.