Τhe decommissioned naval ship A/B Folegandros Is being scuttled using controlled explosive charges. Video screenshot.
In the coastal waters of Chania, Crete, decommissioned navy vessels are being scuttled to create Greece’s first highly regulated, wreck-based scuba diving park.
The ambitious underwater project by the municipality of Apokoronou at Omprogialos already features 44 deployed artificial reefs alongside the decommissioned Hellenic Navy vessel Nestor. On Wednesday, the park adds its newest centerpiece: the decommissioned naval ship A/B Folegandros, which is scheduled to be scuttled using controlled explosive charges.
Θάλασσα Χανίων Το ανατίναξαν για καλό σκοπό… Στον Ομπρόσγιαλο Χανίων δημιουργείται το πρώτο οργανωμένο καταδυτικό πάρκο της Ελλάδας. Μετά τους 44 τεχνητούς υφάλους και το «Νέστωρ», βυθίζεται σήμερα το παροπλισμένο «Α/Β Φολέγανδρος» σε βάθος περίπου 25 μέτρων. pic.twitter.com/OjcV1SIXvY
— Αντώνης Νταλακογεώργος (@Adalakogeorgos) June 10, 2026
Hellenic Coast Guard vessels and an elite Navy Underwater Demolition Command (OYK) unit are currently on-site overseeing the operation. Following detonation, the vessel will settle on the seabed at a depth of approximately 25 meters (82 feet).
To ensure public safety, maritime authorities have enacted stringent security measures across the broader Ompros Gialos sea area. A strict multi-kilometer exclusion zone has been established, completely banning the approach, anchoring, or transit of any vessel within a one-kilometer radius of the scuttling site. The Hellenic Coast Guard has been actively patrolling the perimeter since the early hours of the morning and will maintain surveillance until the operation is fully finalized.
A scuba diving park
The scuttling of the Folegandros is a pivotal step toward finalizing the Apokoronou Diving Park, a cornerstone project in the region’s strategic push to develop high-end, niche tourism markets. The diving park, which will be owned and operated directly by the Municipality of Apokoronas, features three distinct underwater routes designed for varying exploration levels:
Route 1: The Eco-Trail — Navigating through the network of 44 artificial reefs, submerged at a highly accessible depth of 9 to 10 meters (30–33 feet)
Route 2: The Nestor Wreck — Centered around the previously scuttled Hellenic Navy ship
Route 3: The Folegandros Deep Wreck — Descending to the newly scuttled vessel at 25 meters, geared toward intermediate and advanced divers
A catalyst for alternative tourism
Local officials aim to have the diving park fully operational by the end of the current 2026 tourism season.
Hailed as one of the most significant alternative tourism infrastructures in Chania and the wider island of Crete, the park is projected to become a premier hotspot for international and domestic diving enthusiasts. Beyond the economic boost, this dedicated “shipwreck museum” is designed to act as a marine sanctuary, generating a highly positive ecological footprint by fostering localized marine biodiversity and promoting sustainable eco-tourism in the Aegean.
Le immagini hanno fatto rapidamente il giro del web: decine di automobili parcheggiate in un prato verde, ricoperte da schizzi di liquame. A compiere il gesto è stato un allevatore del Lake District, una delle aree naturalistiche più frequentate della Gran Bretagna, esasperato da anni di comportamenti considerati irrispettosi da parte dei visitatori. Una protesta clamorosa che ha acceso un dibattito ben più ampio sul rapporto, spesso complicato, tra turismo e comunità locali.
Secondo quanto riportato da “Il Dolomiti”, dietro l’episodio non emerge solo la reazione di un singolo agricoltore, ma un disagio più ampio segnalato da chi vive e lavora in aree rurali e montane. Nei periodi di maggiore afflusso turistico, queste zone si trovano spesso a gestire flussi concentrati e comportamenti non sempre compatibili con le attività locali. L’allevatore ha spiegato le ragioni del gesto al Daily Mail e ha sottolineato la crescente frustrazione legata a comportamenti ritenuti problematici da parte dei visitatori: “Non vado fiero di quello che ho fatto. Sono semplicemente stufo di come i turisti trattano il Lake District. Ne ho abbastanza di essere insultato dalle persone quando chiedo loro di non parcheggiare sul nostro terreno”.
Il caso, dunque, rimette al centro il tema del rapporto tra attività turistiche e tutela dei territori. Da un lato c’è la fruizione della natura da parte dei visitatori, spesso concentrata in brevi periodi e nel fine settimana; dall’altro le esigenze di chi in quei luoghi vive stabilmente e vi svolge attività lavorative.
Non solo Lake District: anche in Italia aumenta il malcontento contro il turismo “mordi e fuggi”
Il fenomeno non riguarda soltanto il Regno Unito. Anche in molte località italiane, dalle Alpi agli Appennini, cresce il confronto tra residenti e visitatori. Sentieri affollati, prati trasformati in aree picnic improvvisate, parcheggi selvaggi e abbandono di rifiuti sono criticità che si ripetono ogni stagione. In alcuni casi si è arrivati a misure controverse, come l’installazione di barriere o sistemi di accesso controllato in aree private particolarmente esposte all’afflusso turistico.
Big hotel construction on Milos undermines the character of the Greek island note local groups. Credit: Greek Reporter
The Mayor of Milos, Manolis Mikelis, has issued a fierce warning against new central government legislation and aggressive corporate development, which he claims threaten to permanently disfigure one of Greece’s most visually distinct islands.
Mikelis extensively critiqued Greece’s proposed tourism zoning framework, accusing the central government of bureaucratic negligence and creating legal loopholes that favor wealthy international funds while systematically locking out local residents.
Corporate development that excludes islanders on Milos
At the heart of the crisis is a newly introduced tourism spatial plan, released online by the Ministry of Tourism. The legislation establishes strict minimum land requirements for the construction of new hotels, setting the threshold at 8, 12, or 16 stremmata (approximately 2 to 4 acres) depending on the specific zone.
Mikelis points out that because land ownership on Milos is historically fragmented, with local families generally owning plots of only 4 to 6 stremmata (about 1-1.5 acres), the law effectively bars residents from developing small, independent hospitality businesses.
“Consequently, it allows the big funds and the rich who have too much money to come in, forcing locals to sell off their property just so these businesses can operate for only seven months a year,” Mikelis warned in speaking to Greek Reporter.
The Mayor also expressed deep concern that the central government plans to issue a legislative decree to retroactively amnesty existing illegal corporate constructions. “That is the goal, and that is what we see happening,” he said, adding that his office is actively trying to block a recent influx of newly issued building permits from being executed.
Environmental violations at Sarakiniko and Mytakas
The local administration has recently been forced to take emergency legal action following severe environmental violations in some of the island’s most ecologically sensitive regions.
In the Kaminia/Sarakiniko area, an investor engaged in illegal excavations directly adjacent to the beach, destroying ancient fossils verified by the Goulandris Museum. Despite public administration inspectors declaring the project “100% illegal,” the developer ignored government-mandated restoration deadlines with zero consequences.
The municipality of Milos accuses developers of destroying the landscape of the island. Credit: Greek Reporter
Meanwhile, in Mytakas, an extension of Sarakiniko’s famous lunar-like volcanic landscapes, a large development company purchased an existing hotel with plans to construct a massive 271-bed complex featuring one hundred private swimming pools.
According to municipal records, the developer illegally excavated and shipped out eleven shiploads of pozzolan (volcanic ash) to cement factories. Local authorities intervened only when bulldozers began moving toward the public shoreline. “We went to the Supreme Court (Council of State) and we are waiting for the final decision,” Mikelis stated. “A temporary revocation of the permit has been issued, and we are awaiting the final ruling.”
The fight for the “syrmata”
Beyond environmental destruction, Mikelis is fighting a bureaucratic battle to preserve the island’s unique cultural heritage: the syrmata. These are traditional, vibrantly colored fishermen’s structures carved directly into the seaside volcanic rock across coastal villages like Klima, Mandrakia, and Fourkovouni.
The municipality is pushing for strict architectural guidelines to ensure all 350 existing structures are protected and repaired using traditional methods despite a lack of formal state recognition.
The iconic syrmata on Milos. Credit: Greek Reporter
“The syrmata were the cultural heritage of this place, showing the life of people 150 years ago,” Mikelis explained. “In order to survive, they made a hole in the rocks to store their boat and their fishing equipment so they could live off fishing and survive during the Axis occupation and long before it.”
The Mayor noted that the term originates either from dragging (syrsimo) boats into the caves, or from historical lookouts who would shout “Syrma, syrma!” (“Watch out!”) to warn workers of approaching gendarmes, as the structures were originally built without formal permits. “Venice exists inside the water, yet we as a state cannot recognize these areas as special urban settlements,” Mikelis lamented.
A united front against corporate overdevelopment
The conflict highlights a growing rift between local municipalities and the central government. In 2023, Milos completed a comprehensive local zoning plan (SCHOOAP) designed to protect its environmentally-sensitive Natura-designated areas. However, the central government overturned the environmental study to accommodate high-value corporate investments.
Speaking to Greek Reporter, Mikelis described the Ministry’s overriding framework as a “death knell” for the local small entrepreneurs who built the island’s reputation. Instead of smaller rooms tailored to the island’s cultural scale, legal loopholes are being exploited to construct massive 300-bed luxury resorts that block public beach access.
The cash-strapped municipality is currently diverting vast public funds toward legal fees to fight these investments in court, explicitly pointing to neighboring Cycladic islands that have already been devastated by anarchic overdevelopment.
Milos is not fighting alone. Mikelis concluded by vowing to form a united front with other Greek island mayors to force a rewriting of the national tourism framework. “We will use every legal remedy to convince the people who wrote these unacceptable laws not to destroy our land any further,” Mikelis said. “Our destinations shouldn’t last for just ten years and then be degraded because the beauty and unique characteristics of our islands were destroyed. Together with other mayors, we are coordinating to make our voice stronger, ensuring longevity so that when someone pays to travel here from America, Australia, or Europe, they can still find and visit these rare beauties.”
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