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Diving with… Mark Milburn, Atlantic Scuba, Cornwall
In this ongoing series, we speak with the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
What is your name?
Mark Milburn
What is the name of your business?
Atlantic Scuba, Cornwall
What is your role within the business?
Owner
How long has the business operated for?
Since 2008, 13 years
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
First qualified in February 2000, multi-agency Instructor
What is your favourite type of diving?
Exploratory dives
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
We specialise in going diving and getting people diving. We encourage all divers and potential divers to get involved with our projects, using their special diving interests whether it’s photography, filming, archaeology or marine biology.
What is your favourite dive in your location and why?
The Bizzies reef system. It is a huge sprawling reef, covered in a wide range of colourful wildlife and amazing topography. It is mainly unexplored.
What types of diving are available in your location?
We have many shore dives that are worth doing. We also operate our own boats, so we can visit many wrecks and reefs, of all depths, within our operational area. We take divers of all levels out, whether they are a newly qualified open water divers, or seasoned technical divers.
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
Showing divers just how good the local diving can be, with the wide range of wildlife as well as the potentially good visibility.
What is your favourite underwater creature?
I really like rays. We have a few rays we see on a regular basis but the male cuckoo wrasse has to be one of the most colourful fish anywhere.
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
Our next move is to get a third boat legal and running, one that can be moved and launched anywhere around Cornwall; so we can access an even bigger range of wrecks and reefs. We have some potentially interesting new sites to find and/or explore.
Is your centre involved in any environmental work?
For many years we have organised underwater litter picks from the local beaches. We have also removed lots of ghost fishing gear, as well as working with Ghost Fishing UK, Fathoms Free and NARC. We have released in excess of 30,000 juvenile lobsters for the National Lobster Hatchery and we have run Seasearch dives with Cornwall Wildlife Trust. We collect any floating debris we see when out on our boat. We have been also involved with several Seagrass projects, including the Sky Ocean Rescue project off Pembrokeshire.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?
Overall the industry is not in the best shape, manufacturers and dive centres should all talk, so that they can organise a systematic approach to promote diving. At Atlantic Scuba we promote diving in whatever way we can, we also actively promote and get involved in both snorkelling and freediving.
What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
We specialise in getting individuals and small groups diving. We run scheduled dives, as well as full charters, so that almost anyone can join in without having to worry about filling the boat. With the range of wrecks and reefs we have to offer, for divers of every level, we can find you some suitable good dive sites. Our unique location means that we rarely cannot dive, we may have to switch dive sites but we do have some good back up locations if the weather does try and defeat us, which it rarely does.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business?
Our website www.atlanticscuba.co.uk has details of what we have to offer, from dive courses to dive sites, from sales to servicing.
We organise our scheduled dives within a Facebook group – Falmouth RHIB and Hard Boat diving. We also have a Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticScuba/ and a Facebook place – https://www.facebook.com/AtlanticScubaDiveCentre/.
Our Twitter account is #atlanticscuba, YouTube as AtlanticScuba, Instagram as AtlanticScuba and you can find us as Atlantic Scuba on most social networks.
In early summer we were given a wonderful opportunity to visit Alonissos in the Sporades Islands in the northern Aegean Sea. This green and forested island sits at the edge of the Alonissos National Marine Park, the largest marine protected area in Europe. Our main focus was to be scuba diving, but during our short stay we were especially impressed with all of the other activities and experiences available on Alonissos for the discerning vacationer.
The scuba diving was really outstanding. In contrast to some areas of the Mediterranean, the marine biodiversity here was impressively diverse and abundant. Our short stay meant we just had a small taste of the diving available, however our hosts at Alonissos Triton Dive Center treated us to some exceptional sites from their impressively long list. The variety of marine life we encountered was a delight: large Gorgonian sea fans, many species of nudibranchs, small pipefish to large groupers, octopus, and much more.
One of the most incredible experiences was the chance to dive the oldest accessible shipwreck in the world, the Ancient Shipwreck of Peristera underwater archeological site from 500 BC … an amazing dive site with a very unique automated underwater museum monitoring system in place to protect its archaeological heritage. It was a busy but hugely satisfying few days of diving and we could certainly spend much longer on this idyllic isle!
Greece has a huge number of beautiful islands to visit, so why choose Alonissos?
This island is one of the quieter Greek islands and as such has a very relaxed and welcoming feel, where you can find an authentic slice of the Aegean region. And, it is really easy to get there — so many airports in the UK offer flight connections directly to Skiathos (the hub of the Sporades) that you should not have to drive more than 100km in the UK to an airport.
Finally, the variety of non-diving activities is hard to beat. There are boating day trips into the National Marine Park, taking you to visit secluded beaches and giving you a chance to see some amazing wildlife (such as monk seals, Eleonora’s Falcon, and several species of dolphin to name a few). Both the main port town of Patitiri and the old village of Chora are full of interesting shops, charming alleyways, and restaurants with delicious meals. As an added bonus, the Alonissos cheese pie is a particularly moreish local specialty!
As a holiday destination, Alonissos really had everything one could ask for. Look for our full print article in an upcoming issue of Scubaverse’s own Dive Travel Adventures magazine!
Thanks to:
The Municipality of Alonissos (https://alonissos.gr/en/)
Alonissos Triton Dive Center (https://bestdivingingreece.com)
Alonissos National Marine Park (https://alonissos.gr/en/marine-park/overview.html)
Paradise Hotel (https://paradise-hotel.gr/)
Albedo Travel (https://alonissosholidays.com/)
What is your name?
(Anastasios) Tasos Ktistis
What is the name of your business?
Sporades Diving: Skopelos Dive Center operates in Skopelos island and Ikion Diving that operates in Alonissos island, which is run by my business partner Kostas Danis.
What is your role within the business?
Master Scuba Diving Trainer PADI & Co-Owner of Skopelos Dive Center & Manager of Skopelos Island diving operations
How long has the business operated for?
Since 2014
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
I have been diving since 2012. I am a Mechanical Engineer with a BA in Documentary Photography and since 2012 I am qualified as a Master Scuba Diving Trainer PADI, since 2021 Tec65 diver and since 2022 as a Tec40 Diving Instructor
What is your favorite type of diving?
Wreck Diving
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
We offer our clients a safe and relaxed type of diving in the exciting and crystal-clear waters of the Sporades islands in Greece. Christoforos and Peristera’s ancient wreck are two must dive destinations.
What is your favorite dive in your location and why?
My favorite dive location is the “Christophoros” shipwreck. A 83m long modern shipwreck that sank in 1983 in Panormos Bay in Skopelos island. As a wreck diving lover, I am so excited that as one of our dive locations I get to dive on this amazing site with our clients.
What types of diving are available in your location?
On our dive sites the rocky landscape is dominant with beautiful reefs, walls and caverns that I am sure everyone will enjoy. And of course wreck diving at the “Christophoros” shipwreck
What do you find most rewarding about your current role?
The satisfaction and the happiness on our clients’ faces after a dive.
What is your favorite underwater creature?
Nudibranches!
As a center what is the biggest problem you face at the moment?
I would say the fact that the Sporades islands have a short summer season (July-August) although the weather is ideal for diving from May till October.
Is your center involved in any environmental work?
Of course we are! First of all, we are all great advocates of the less plastic movement that has started in 2014, not only in Skopelos but also in Alonissos (Ikion Diving). We participate in underwater clean-ups as well as in projects for local management of plastic waste (#zeroplastic with iSea and Re-Shape plastic-funded by Beyond Plastic MED.)
Are there any exciting changes / developments coming up in the near future?
We currently aspire to get more involved in Scientific Diving projects by actively supporting the operations through our involvement in EU funded projects, while at the same time we are also exploring the possibilities of Technical Diving as me and my partner of the Alonissos base, Kostas Danis, are certified PADI Tec40 Instructors. We believe that in the future our business will be well known for not only its recreational diving services but also its involvement with the Scientific Diving community through its technical diving services and expertise.
How do you see the SCUBA / Freediving / snorkeling industry overall? What changes would you make?
I believe that SCUBA and in general alternative tourism becomes more inclusive and even more people are interested to get to engage in this type of activities that ultimately protect the environment by raising awareness of the public about the ecosystem of the sea and its significance to a viable future.
Finally, what would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
At Skopelos Dive Center and Ikion Diving Alonissos (Sporades Diving Group) you can create fantastic underwater experiences – including guided dives, PADI courses, and snorkeling tours combining the two islands. It is our goal to create a safe, comfortable experience for divers of all abilities.
Where can our visitors find out more about your business? (This is where you enter your contact details and any specific details on how our audience can reach you)
Website: https://sporadesdiving.gr/
Skopelos Dive Center (Skopelos Island)
+306940448000
Ikion Diving Alonissos (Alonissos island)
+30 6940 448 004 (WhatsApp: +30 6984181598)
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