Amateur scuba divers and professionals will have an opportunity to visit the underwater archaeological site at the Peristera shipwreck off the shores of Alonnisos, as part of a seminar regarding the BlueMed programme for Underwater Museums and Diving Parks and Knowledge Awareness Centres that will be held on the island on April 6-7.
The two-day seminar entitled "The BlueMed on Alonnisos. For marine cultural heritage and planning its management" is organised by the Thessaly Region and the culture ministry's Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities. The tour will be followed by a series of discussions, lectures and presentations at the Town Hall the following day, which are open to the public.
The seminar programme is as follows:
Saturday, April 6: "Diving at Peristera" at Steni Vala, Alonnisos (11:00-15:00) - The Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities will organise an underwater tour of the Peristera Shipwreck in Alonnisos, a visitable underwater archaeological site. The shipwreck as found at a depth of 25 metres near the islet Peristera in the 1990s and excavated by the Ephorate, revealing one of the largest Classical-era shipwrecks ever found in the Aegean.
The merchant ship was carrying more than 4,000 amphorae when it foundered near the Sporades islands and the large number of amphorae, the excellent state of the shipwreck and the clarity of the waters and the deep in the area combine to create a unique attraction. The Peristera shipwreck, which is within the North Sporades National Marine Park, is among those chosen by the culture ministry in the North Sporades and Pagasitikos Bay to be converted into a visitable archaeological site with guided diving tours.
The Ephorate and Thessaly Region, in collaboration with other agencies through the BlueMed European programme are examining ways to make the area's marine wealth accessible to the public, both for those that know how to dive but also those that cannot.
Those interested in joining the diving tour are asked to carefully read the conditions of participation, posted in an announcement on the Thessaly Region website at:  https://www.thessaly.gov.gr/main.aspx?catid=78&id=16077#.XJSQOygzbIU. The necessary supporting documents must scanned and e-mailed to eeabluemed@gmail.com by March 26 and those selected for the tour will be notified by March 29.
Sunday, April 7: Seminar open to the public at the Alonnisos Town Hall, from 10:00-13:00. This will include presentations by archaeologists on the Peristera shipwreck, excavation and conclusions, the lecture "Maritime Routes and Ancient Shipwrecks in the Central Aegean", a talk on preserving the natural heritage of the Alonnisos-North Sporades National Marine Park, a presentation of the importance of the BlueMed programme for Thessaly and the North Sporades islands, as well as talks on planning to create visitable underwater archaeological sites, an open discussion. This will be followed by an afternoon training seminar for diving professionals.