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Ayvalik, a top tourism draw on Türkiye's northwestern Aegean coast, is pulling in divers year-round—24 dive sites, rich marine life, and coral reefs prized for their vivid red hue.
The district in Balikesir province has diving areas divided between its northern and southern sections, where divers can come across red and stone corals, sea urchins and various fish species among a diverse range of marine life.
Ayvalik Mayor Mesut Ergin said the district's red corals stand out as its most important asset for diving tourism, describing Ayvalik as one of the world's notable locations for seeing them.
"Ayvalik's most important value that brings it forward in diving is the red corals. One of the world's few such locations is in Ayvalik," Ergin said.
Ayvalik is also home to the Ayvalik Islands Nature Park, whose 22 islands create a wide range of dive locations.
Ergin said local authorities were working to increase the number of diving sites while also putting greater emphasis on diving tourism at tourism fairs and promotional events.
He added that Türkiye's General Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks had carried out work at 50 locations aimed at protecting the seabed.
The municipality is also supporting projects carried out with the Marine Environment Protection Association, known as TURMEPA, and Istanbul University to protect and expand seagrass meadows.
Ayvalik Chamber of Commerce Chairman Ali Ucar said diving, like gastronomy, could help sustain tourism year-round.
He said diving-friendly areas around Ayvalik's 22 islands were playing an important role in developing the sector and that efforts were being stepped up to support sustainable tourism.
New sites have also been opened for recreational diving with special permission from Türkiye's Culture and Tourism Ministry.
According to Ucar, permission was secured after around three years of work to allow diving at a historic shipwreck believed to date back to the Byzantine period.
Diving schools are now operating in the area, while local tourism representatives are seeking to bring additional sites into use.
Kubilay Kilic, owner and diving instructor at Prodivers Ayvalik Diving School, said approximately 20,000 people went diving in the district during this summer season.
Diving instructor Berk Yalimer said another location had been brought into diving tourism this year, adding that Ayvalik continued to expand its offerings for both visitors and residents interested in exploring its underwater landscape.
Unal Unsal, who traveled from Istanbul for deep-diving training, said he had seen red corals and other marine species during his dive.
"We saw the red corals, migri fish and marine creatures. I recommend it to everyone. It is like another planet, like a completely different world," he said.
Yusuf Ziya Albas, who traveled from Izmir to dive in Ayvalik, also said he had gone down to a depth of 30 meters and enjoyed the experience.
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