An ancient Greek vessel that was destroyed by the Greeks is now the site of thousands of amphorae. It's also the first national underwater museum.Hans-Juergen Fercher, a diver from the Aegean Sea's turquoise waters, has just returned from his fourth dive. He was there to see mounds of wine pots that date back to 2,500 years ago. These pots are the remains of an ancient shipwreck and the first underwater museum in Greece.This is a mix of archaeological and diving. After climbing aboard the Triton boat, the 48-year old psychiatrist said it was "diving into history."It makes it unique and special.Although the museum under the waves at Peristera was opened in 2020 due to Covid-19 restrictions, it has been largely abandoned until now.The site is a great example of a sustainable and new source of revenue as Greece opens up its tourism industry.A guided tour of an archaeological site is a privilege for professional archaeologists, and divers like Fercher or Lisette Fredelund, a Danish wine-cellar manufacturer, will cost them 95 euros ($110).Fredelund said, "It was absolutely amazing." "I was just trying to imagine, while we were down on that vessel transporting wine.There are more to comeThere are more wrecks in the area, which is the middle of the largest marine reserve in the country. This opens up the possibility that there will be many more museums like this.Only qualified divers can undertake the tour due to the technical difficulty.Since 2020, legislation making it possible for visitors to Greece to dive has been passed by Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis to AFP."This type of tourism attracts people all the year, a special audience who pays generously for diving," he stated, adding that 10 new dive parks are available to be licensed according to the legislation.Six more divers board the Triton and dive into the ocean, closely following their guide. According to Alonissos Mayor Petros Vfinis, around 300 people paid for a visit to the wreck since it opened.Vafinishim, an avid diver in scuba diving, joined a group tourists as they launched themselves one-by-one off the Triton's rear deck into the ocean.Visitors must be briefed about the site and follow the strict rules, such as not being within two metres (about six feet), of artifacts.High expectationsAfter a quick swim from the boat the tour guide takes the group down through layers of lightening and decreasing cold until they reach the seabed at almost 30 meters below.The Peristera shipwreck, which was buried at 30 metres for nearly 2,500 years, was opened to recreational divers in 2020.George Giasemidis, an American tourist from Greece, stated that his expectations were high and the briefing fulfilled them all. He was specifically there to see the wreck.Only qualified divers can visit the wreck of a ship carrying wine and other goods, which was lost around the fifth century BC.There are more than 4,000 amphorae with two handles anchored in the sand. Their positions mark the outline of the wooden vessel. The remains of these vessels have been washed away over the years."We want to offer a different kind of tourism to those who visit us." Vafinis stated that he doesn't want intensive tourism that can be found elsewhere.There are four more wrecks nearby. The goal is to make them accessible so that Alonissos can be added to the list of must-dos for divers all over the globe.Kostas Efstathiou co-owner of Triton diving center said, "It goes put Alonissos onto the world diving map to have like an underwater Safari of ancient wrecks."Discover more Ancient Shipwrecks that are available to divers in Greece2021 AFP
