Exploring Lake Vouliagmeni 2007

Lake Vouliagmeni is a natural brackish lake with healing properties located in Vouliagmeni, Athens.

Its waters come from a depth of 50 to 100 meters and have a temperature of 22°C to 29°C, indicating that at some depth it communicates with the volcanic arc of the Aegean.

Επίσης, η λίμνη τροφοδοτείται από μια πηγή γλυκού νερού σε βάθος 17 μέτρων. Στη λίμνη καταλήγει ένα υπόγειο σπήλαιο που επικοινωνεί με τη θάλασσα με διάφορες στοές. Η λίμνη βρίσκεται στο νότιο άκρο του Υμηττού, κοντά στη θάλασσα. Βρίσκεται μέσα σε μια ελλειψοειδή κοιλότητα με μήκος 260 μέτρα και πλάτος 145 μέτρα. Η λίμνη βρίσκεται μισό μέτρο ψηλότερα από την επιφάνεια της θάλασσας.

It is part of the Natura areas HYPERLINK "https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natura_2000"

The lake was created when part of the roof of a large underground cave collapsed about 2,000 years ago due to erosion and tectonic movements, and therefore there are no references from antiquity, not even from Pausanias "https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Λίμνη_Βουλιαγμένης"

Το σπήλαιο βρίσκεται μέσα στα ασβεστολιθικά πετρώματα της περιοχής. Το εξερευνημένο μήκος του σπηλαίου είναι 3.123 μέτρα, Στο σπήλαιο υπάρχουν 14 σήραγγες, ενώ έχει βρεθεί και ένας μεγάλος υποθαλάσσιος σταλαγμίτης. Ο πυθμένας της λίμνης αποτελείται από λασπώδες υπόστρωμα πλούσιο σε θειούχες ενώσεις.

The lake waters have an increased content of minerals and trace elements, such as potassium, sodium, lithium, ammonium, calcium, iron, chlorine and iodine. The lake waters are indicated for rheumatic diseases, sports injuries, nervous system diseases, skin diseases and gynecological diseases "https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Λίμνη_Βουλιαγμένης"

Swimming in the lake is available for a fee and there is a restaurant-bar in the lake. The area has been declared a natural monument. and has been listed as a protected site of the Natura network. In addition, it was designated as a Site of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Ministry of Culture.

A species of sea anemone, Paranemonia vouliagmeniensis, was discovered in the lake in the 1980s, which lives exclusively in this particular lake.

Two other species of invertebrates have also been found in the lake, Abra ovata and Cerastoderma glaucum. C. glaucum can purify a large volume of water from microbes.

The dive went very well in general. There were points where the inadequacy of some people to dive and coordinate in such an environment was evident. Everything went calmly and well if we exclude a) the lost decompression tank b) the poor coordination of the support team. The fact that a tank was lost in our case did not play a role since we had planned alternative solutions but in another case it could have caused very serious problems. Grigoris Panselinas was as always impeccable and I could see his enthusiasm when we reached the deepest point of our planned dive. As always serious, focused and perfectly coordinated with the rest of the team.

In our support, diving to a point in the lake were Serpanos Kostas, Katrivesis Nektarios, Yannis Giatras and others whom we do not remember. A large number of people, scuba divers, attended the dive and watched the entire process with the aim of getting closer to the environment of technical diving and cave diving. I (George Petrou) made a detailed presentation to them about the lake and our diving project, analyzing all the elements that make it up so that it can be carried out safely and successfully.

At the end, many questions were asked and answered. A small piece of information was added about technical diving in our country.