The picturesque little port town pearls of the of Komiza is the home of the mediterranean Manta Diving Centre

Tito’s bastion

Text by Harald Apelt and Wolfgang Pölzer Photos by Wolfgang Pölzer

If there is any hidden secret in the From a distance, they just looked like a yellow Mediterranean, it is the island of Vis. variety of a gorgonian, but as I got closer, the real secret of this drop-off revealed itself in the For many years, it was a forbidden beam of my lamp. The remarkable growths in and restricted military area. It was front of me were black corals, a very rare spe- not until 1991, when the iron cur- cies of cnidarian in the Mediterranean. tain finally came down, that it was Scientists assume that these beautifully col- oured polyp colonies can reach the age of opened up for tourism and diving. 1,800 years, and as such, are one of the long- On Vis, small picturesque port towns est living sea creatures in the world. Inspired, I and spectacular wrecks, drop-offs began to position my lights. These corals were and caverns are waiting to be dis- not only scientifically interesting, but also a beautiful photo subject. covered by divers. Some minutes later, our dive guide Lorenz signalled us onwards. He wanted to show us The drop-off a grotto full of red corals. And indeed, not far Although I have had several hundreds of dives from the yellow corals, a cavern entrance big in Croatia, I have never seen a drop-off like enough to contain three divers, opened up this before. It is not just the vertical fall into a few meters into the rock. Unbelievable, but the deep blue, but the unbelievable natu- true, the ceiling of the cavern was completely ral growth that impressed me. Between the covered with precious red corals. As the bub- numerous red fan corals, I spotted what I first bles from our exhalations rose to the ceiling thought were other bright corals and bushes. and brushed against the furry white polyps, they retracted, leaving their fire red skeletons The precious red coral can be discovered even naked and exposed. For thousands of years, in depths that can be reached by scuba divers 71 X-RAY MAG : 23 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Josip Broz Tito pearls of the Croatia Josip Broz Tito was the they have served as raw materials go to twice the leader of the Socialist mediterranean for making jewellery. These growths depth to find Federal Republic of remind me of gnarly fingers, as them. Yugoslavia from 1945 they stick 10 cms out of the ceiling. But we do until his death in 1980. After a couple of quick shots, not have much During World War II, it was time to start our ascent. time to listen to Tito organized the anti- In shallow water, we had a final Marovic’s tales fascist resistance move- glide through the spacious tunnel of his work as ment known as the before being picked up by Lorenz a commercial Yugoslav Partisans. Tito Marovic’s dive boat. diver. Aniska, his was the most prominent wife and able leader of the Anti-Fascist Coral diver helmsman, has Council of National This Croatian, who is also fluent in swiftly brought Liberation of Yugoslavia English, has constructed his ves- the speedy dive (AVNOJ), which in 1943 sel from the bottom up. Marovic’s boat back to established the basis for boat design includes a large dive their dive centre, Josip Broz Tito post-war organisation deck and a decompression cham- which they run of the country, making ber, which is included not only as together. it a federation. In Jajce, Tito was named a matter of safety, but also to sup- President of the National Committee of port Marovic’s professional as a Island history Liberation. On December 4, 1943, while commercial coral diver. In Croatia, We are on the small Croatian most of the country was still occupied Marovic is one of just a dozen who island of Vis, which is located on by the Axis, Tito proclaimed a provisional are licensed to harvest and sell the Dalmatian coast not far from democratic Yugoslav government. genuine red coral. the Italian border and about 45 km After Tito’s communist partisans stood The biggest specimens that we off the main coast. This strategically up to intense Axis attacks between saw on our last dive could possibly important position has secured Vis January and June 1943, Allied leaders bring in 200 Euros, which is, howev- a place in history books, not always switched their support to the partisans. er, hardly worth considering. “Real” for the better. King Peter II of Yugoslavia, American red corals would bring in ten times In the 4th century B.C., Vis President Franklin Roosevelt and British as much, but you would have to became the first Greek colony in Prime Minister Winston Churchill joined the Eastern Adriatic. In Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in officially a short time span, the recognizing Tito and his partisans at the island developed into Tehran Conference. This resulted in Allied a prosperous demo- aid being parachuted behind Axis lines cratic city-state and to assist the partisans. The Balkan Air an important centre Force was formed in June 1944 to control of commerce, which operations that were mainly aimed at soon founded its own helping his forces. colonies. It wasn’t until On 5 April 1945, Tito signed an agree- several centuries later, ment with the USSR allowing “temporary during the 7th and 8th entry of Soviet troops into Yugoslav ter- centuries AD, that the ritory”. Aided by the Red Army, the par- Croatians arrived on tisans won the war for liberation in 1945. the island, where they At the end of the war, all external forces mixed with the existing were ordered off Yugoslav soil after the population of Greek end of hostilities in Europe. Later, he was and Roman origin. The a founding member of Cominform, but original name of the resisted Soviet influence, and became island, Issa, was soon one of the founders and promoters of the ABOVE: One of the colourful drop-offs covered with col- “Croatiafied” to Vis. Non-Aligned Movement. He died on May our changing gorgones and the rare black corals. INSET 4, 1980, in Ljubljana. Source: wikipedia ■ RIGHT: “Iaaaahhhh”: Stubborn mule, but historically, the most reliable transportation mode in the pathless hills

72 X-RAY MAG : 23 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED Harvest: A Vis farmer Red Coral Jewelry pearls of the brings in heavy grapes for the tasteful Vis In jewellery, it is corals such as Corallium involves divers going down and harvest- wine “Plavac Mali” rubrum and Corallium japonicum that ing the sensitive coral branches. After mediterranean are used. The unprocessed hard skeleton that, the branches are cleaned, sorted of red coral branches is naturally matte, and processed by means of saws, knives, but can be polished to a glassy beautiful files or drills. Coral is not usually ground or Tito’s shine. cut on a wheel. Bastion Red corals resemble small leafless It is often porous, full of holes or cracked, It was not bushes up to a meter tall. Their valuable and in these cases it is of lesser quality. until the skeletons are composed of intermeshed Coral of that kind is sometimes filled with Croatians spicules of hard calcium carbonate, col- coloured wax to improve its appear- arrived on oured in shades of red by carotenoid ance. High-quality coral is of an even the island pigment. colour and free of cracks, blotches, stria- that it Even if red is thought of as their typical tions and holes. Since genuine untreated became an colour, corals come in a wide range of coral is rare, it does fetch good prices. important colours from red to white and from blue For that reason, anyone being offered navy base in and brown to black. The most popular what appears to be high-quality coral the Eastern are the red hues from pale pink, or salm- cheaply should be sceptical. The best Adriatic. on, to a deep dark red. Black corals and thing to do is to purchase one’s high- Countless gold corals are very much in fashion, quality coral jewellery from a reputable bloody bat- whilst the blue ones are extremely rare. merchant. tles and changes of power took place The white of the angel skin coral, suffused Like the pearls, these are also organic here, and later, during World War II, it with pink, is regarded as particularly pre- jewellery materials. It certainly is an inter- regained its strategic importance. Vis cious. Other well known colours are the esting fact that both of these are prod- became a base for Allied Air Forces and rich red Japanese Moro coral, the pale ucts of the water, chemically closely Navies, and was, at one time, also the pink “Boke” and the red “Sardegna”. related with each other. Both consist of headquarters for the staff of commander Red corals grow on rocky sea bottom more than 90 percent calcium carbon- Josip Broz, more famously known as Tito, with low sedimentation, typically in dark ate. And it really is a miraculous thing and later, as president of Yugoslavia. environments, either in the depths or in that nature has created both the scar- Its unique location as a strategic strong- dark caverns or crevices and have tradi- let coral and the pearl from the same, hold and outpost in the Adriatic unavoid- tionally been brought up from the depths unprepossessing raw material. ably made Vis part of the war. Even 45 with trawl nets. However, since first-class On the one hand, corals are not par- years after the war, most corals have now ticularly sensitive, but with a hardness of of the inhabitants were become rather only 3.5, they are much softer than any military personnel. For rare as the shal- other gemstone material. Their beauty this reason, the island lower of these can easily be impaired by the wrong has been completely habitats have treatment with, for example, cosmetics, off-limits for foreign tour- been largely hot water or bright light. Coral jewellery ists. No investments in depleted by har- should be kept in a safe place, and from infrastructure or tourism vesting, divers are time to time, cleaned with a soft, damp were made on the island, now deployed, in towel. If the surface of the coral does since only the needs of a less destructive get scratched, the jeweller can have it the Army and the few process, which repolished. ■ inhabitants of the island were accommodated. Endangered or not The only factory on the Red coral has been widely sought after since ancient times island was a small textile to supply a prosperous jewel industry, but over-harvesting manufacturer, which sup- of the deep-dwelling, commercial populations of this slow- plied the military. growing, long-lived species has led to drastic reductions in It was not until the the size of harvested colonies and has depressed the regen- 1970’s when two hotels, eration of the commercial banks. Red coral, however, is not an endangered species as such, due to the wide distribution Lorenz Marovic inspects the of small, non-commercial colonies spread out over numer- results of an extended dive ous predominantly coastal reproductive populations. ■ for red corals 73 X-RAY MAG : 23 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED A really lovely Mediterranean port town: Vis is the capital pearls of the of the island of Vis Croatia mediterranean What you see topside on Vis is also quite attractive, thanks in large part to the artesian wells under the island, which provide a plentiful supply of freshwater that makes the island one of greenest in the entire Adriatic. Apart from the typical Mediter- ranean vegetation, wine also seems to favour the sandy soils of the island. From their grapes, a full-bodied red- wine, the “Plavac mali“ is produced. This wine will please the palate of any discerning visitor with an interest in wine. Add some grilled fish, fresh out the ocean, or a lamb chop with some potatoes and rosemary, and what more can you ask for? The five best dive spots Blue Grotto. A very impressive cave, which is not to be confused with its more famous name sake on the island of Capri. From the little island of Bisevo in front of Vis, you either swim or dive through a narrow tunnel in shallow water. After a few meters, you will arrive in an expansive hall,

one in Vis and one in Komiza, were breakfasts. So, even in the high the more famous dive sites in the built to stimulate a bit of tourism season, Vis hasn’t got more than Northern Adriatic to shame. on the island. But because only 4000 inhabitants and will not turn Under the huge gorgonians, you domestic Yugoslavian tourists were into a tourist hell like so many other can find red corals of considerable permitted to go, it was all just an places in the region. size, even at air diving depths. exercise in futility. The only enter- A majority of the few guests It appears that the years during prises that really functioned were that visit the island are Italians, which the island was off-limits have the ancient wine growing and fish- who arrive by ferry from the ports protected and preserved Vis in a ing industries. of Ancona and Pescara on the historic time capsule. Independent opposite coast of the Adriatic. of Croatian dive regulations that A virgin island were enforced in more recent When the military finally evacu- Divers’ paradise years, Vis has already been using ated island in 1991 and the long- From a diver’s point of view, we licensed dive guides for six years. standing travel restrictions were can thank the military for hiding Thanks to this diligence, underwa- lifted, Vis was a virgin destination. these little secrets for so many ter archeological artefacts, which Even to this day, more than 17 years. Long stretches of coastline date all the way back to ancient years later, the island retains its and the surrounding archipelago Greek and Roman eras, have original charm. have hardly been dived at all. The remained largely intact. There are only a limited number impressive cover of marine life, of hotel beds on the island, of as well as the many wrecks and Professional diving in extended ranges: which most are private bed and caves that lie further north, put Lorenz Marovic harvesting red corals at 70 meters of depth 74 X-RAY MAG : 23 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED LEFT: The wreck of the Greek freight ship Vassilios T can be dis- covered in a depth between 20 pearls of the meters and 55 meters. The ship was transporting coal when on mediterranean the night of March 19th, 1939, it hit the rocks of “Cape Stupisce” outside of Komiza. RIGHT: A diver investigates some black coral

rywhere. In shallow water, there is another cave to tempt divers.

Seal’s Cave. An extensive, yet uncomplicated, cave to dive on the island of Bisevo. It is named after the colony of monk seals that, until a few years ago, took up residence in the rear of the cave. Here, it is pos- sible to exit onto the beach, which was once the peaceful refuge of the seals. Aside from incredible vis- ibility, it is also possible to locate rare creatures such as orange cleaner shrimps and porcelain snails. This trip was supported by Manta Diving Centre. ■

which stretches out before the visitor. It in an excellent state of preservation. seems possible to enter only through this Laden with coal, it ran aground under entirely submerged, but huge entrance, mysterious circumstances on the night which is illuminated by reflected sunlight of March 18th, 1939. Since no one was from above, which paints the ceiling injured, it was suspected that it was of the huge vault blue. Past a ridge of intentional, and probably a case of rocks and some other weird formations, insurance fraud. it is possible to reach the bottom of the The bow and gigantic anchor are the cave at a depth of 20 meters. Right shallowest and easiest part to dive. The after that, a drop-off follows. stern, with the richly encrusted propellor and rudder, should only be visited by Teti Wreck. A partially well-preserved experienced and appropriately trained shipwreck in 7 to 35 meters depth that divers, since it is located at a depth of is easy to dive. The 70-meter long Italian 55 meters. freighter wrecked on the northern coast in 1930 after running aground due to Totac. A fantastic and richly overgrown a navigational error. The bow is com- drop-off that extends down to great pletely destroyed. The wreck is erect, depths. It measures up to anything that resting at an angled slope, with the you could see in the tropics. A rocky stern covered by beautiful coral growth. ridge runs from the island and seems The steering wheel is an excellent photo to disappear in the bottomless clear subject. Quite often, you will see conger blue abyss. The region of about 30 to eels on the wreck. 40 meters of depth seems to be cov- ered with red and yellow gorgonians Vassilios Wreck. Resting on its port and countless cup corals. There are side off the northern coast of Vis, this small caves in which it is possible to see 104-meter long Greek freighter remains red corals. Stately langusters are eve-

75 X-RAY MAG : 23 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED The cowrie shell looks beautiful but is—besides human beings—the most dangerous enemy of the red corals. pearls of the BELOW: Drop-off walls are brightly covered with red gorgones Croatia mediterranean pation of Yugoslavia (repre- Winston Churchill had in polls, Šubašić and other Republic of Yugoslavia was sented by Josip Broz Tito) The mind when he supported the officials stepped down in established as a socialist state treaty became known as the Agreement. October. during the first meeting of the Tito-Šubašić Agreement. In reality, although Tito On 29 November 1945, Communist-led Parliament in Despite the signing, the led a coalition government while he was still in exile and Belgrade. Josip Broz Tito was new government that would and Šubašić became its for- after a questionable referen- named Prime Minister. have resulted was not eign minister, the real power dum, Peter II was deposed The official Yugoslav post- formed until more than four was in the hands of the by Yugoslavia’s Communist war estimate of victims in months later, on November Communist-led Anti-Fascist Constituent Assembly of Yugoslavia during World War 2nd, with the signing of the Council of Yugoslavia. the “Anti-Fascist Council II is 1,704,000. Subsequent Belgrade Agreement. This It was only in the follow- of National Liberation of data gathering in the 1980s brought an interim govern- ing year, in the autumn that Yugoslavia” (Antifašističko by historians Vladimir Žerjavić ment into the picture, effec- the Treaty became void, V(ij)eće Narodnog (Croatian) and Bogoljub tive until post-war demo- following elections held by Oslobođenja Jugoslavije, Kočović (Serb) showed that cratic elections could take the Communists. Following or AVNOJ). On the same the actual number of dead place. At least, this was what a communist victory at the day, the Federal People’s was about one million. ■

The Treaty of Vis Edited by Catherine GS Lim creatures just waiting to pop up in your viewfinder. Vis is a small Croatian island One wonders what the in the Adriatic Sea, measuring scene was like on 16 June roughly 90.3 square kilome- 1944, during the second world tres. Its highest peak stands war, when this isle became at 587 metres high, and over- the venue of the signing of sees about 5,000 citizens liv- the Treaty of Vis. This historic ing in two towns and several agreement was an attempt at smaller settlements. a merger between the exiled It is your typical idyllic Yugoslav government (repre- Mediterranean isle, complete sented by Ivan Šubašić) and with clear blue seas, sunken the Communist-led partisans wrecks and unique marine who fought against the occu-

76 X-RAY MAG : 23 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED fact file Croatia

source: harald apelt, cia world fact book Croatia’s coat-of-arms

ABOVE: The island of Vis. RIGHT: Regional map with location of Vis

History Up to the close of Sea islands, which are made up Endangered Species, Hazardous good ferry connections World War I, the lands that com- of 1,200 islands, islets, rocks and Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine from Split via Hvar to Vis. prise Croatia today were part of ridges. Coastline: 5,835 km com- Dumping, Ozone Layer Protec- The transfer takes about the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In bines 1,777 km of the mainland tion, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, two hours. Price (car + 2 1918, a kingdom was formed by and 4,058 km of the islands. The Whaling. Agreements signed, persons): € 35. Time tables Diving The underwater scen- the Croats, Serbs, and Slovenes, terrain of Croatia is geographi- but not ratified: Air Pollution- are available at ery around Vis is diversified and which became known as cally diverse. Along the Hungar- Persistent Organic Pollutants, www.jadrolinija.hr offers all that scuba divers and Yugoslavia after 1929. The coun- ian border are flat plains; near Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Entry to Croatia with passport experienced tech divers are try became a federal independ- the Adriatic coastline and islands (valid for six months) or identity looking for: colourful drop-off’s, ent Communist state after WWII, are low mountains and high- Population 4,493,312 (July card for EG-members. caverns, grottos and wrecks. under the strong leadership of lands. Lowest point: Adriatic Sea 2007 estimate). Ethnic groups: Good visibility is one of the big Marshal Tito. In 1991, Croatia 0 m. Highest point: Dinara 1,830 Croat 89.6%, Serb 4.5%, other Best time to visit The cli- advantages of this Mediterra- declared its independence from m. Natural hazards: destructive groups 5.9%—including Bosniak, mate on the island of Vis is milder nean region. Most of the year, a Yugoslavia, but it took four more earthquakes. Hungarian, Slovene, Czech, and than at the coastline. In summer- 5-7 mm wetsuit is suitable; only in years to be realized. These years Roma (2001 census). Religions: time, temperatures are about the beginning of the dive season were marked by sporadic and Climate Croatia has both Roman Catholic 87.8%, Ortho- two degrees lower, and in win- is a drysuit more comfortable. bitter fighting between Croats Mediterranean and continental dox 4.4%, other Christian religions ter, two degrees higher than at There are four dive centres on and the occupying Serb armies. climate with predominately hot 0.4%, Muslim 1.3%, other religions the Croatian coast. Season starts Vis: In 1998, the UN supervised the summers and cold winters inland 0.9%, those with no religion 5.2% in beginning of May and runs return of the last Serb-held and dry summers and mild win- (2001 census). Internet users: until the end of September. Manta Diving, Komiza enclave in eastern Slovenia to ters along the coast. 1.576 million (2006) www.manta-diving.com Croatia. Government: presiden- Accommodation During Issa Diving Centre, Komiza tial/parliamentary democracy. Environmental issues for- Languages Croatian 96.1%, the high season, it is difficult to www.diving.hr/idc Capital: Zagreb ests are being damaged by Serbian 1%, other and undesig- get transfer tickets and accom- Diving Centre ANMA, Vis air pollution from metallurgical nated languages 2.9%—include modations. There are only a few www.anma.hr Geography Croatia is lo- plants and its resulting acid rain; Italian, Hungarian, Czech, Slo- small hotels on the island (three Dodoro Diving, Vis cated in southeastern Europe. It industrial and domestic waste is vak, and German (2001 census) in Vis, one in Komiza). But there www.dodoro-diving.com borders the Adriatic Sea, be- causing coastal pollution; civil are some more private rooms tween Bosnia and Herzegovina strife between 1992-95 led to Currency kuna (HRK). and apartments available, Deco Chamber and Slovenia. Strategic loca- the need for land mine removal Exchange rates: 1EUR=7.2HRK, which can be booked through The Manta Diving Centre has its tion: Croatia controls most land and reconstruction of infrastruc- 1USD=4.6HRK, 1GBP=9HRK, the diving centres or at the tour- own decompression chamber routes from Western Europe to ture. Croatia is party to these 1AUD=4.26HRK, 1SGD=3.38HRK ist agency, Darlic & Darlic: on board the dive boat. The the Aegean Sea and Turkish agreements: Air Pollution, Air tel. 00385-21-717 205 next big decompression cham- Straits; Off the coast of Croatia Pollution-Sulfur 94, Biodiversity, Travel by car or plane to Split: www.darlic-travel.hr ber is at Split. Transportation via lie a vast majority of the Adriatic Climate Change, Desertification, During summertime there are speedboat or helicopter. ■

Boats in the harbour at Komiza 77 X-RAY MAG : 23 : 2008 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY EDUCATION PROFILES PORTFOLIO CLASSIFIED