Diving in the South Federal District

The Kabardino-Balkaria Republic may not be the first place a diver thinks of when wanting to scuba dive in Russia; however, this region’s many waterways sit just waiting to be explored. Convening in the southwest corner of Russia, the Sea of Azov, Black Sea, and many deep lakes surround the Kabardino-Balkaria Republic.

The deep, clear freshwater karst lakes give way to extensive underwater cave systems that will excite the most experienced cave diver. These underwater gems sit within the high-peaked Caucasus Mountains. The many lakes’ rocky underwater terrain are home to well-preserved shipwrecks from various eras.

Coming down from the mountains, Russia diving in the Black and Azov Seas is fantastic. One of the best locations to access these saltwater dive sites is on the Crimean Peninsula. Surrounded on three sides by both seas, diving in Crimea is exciting and varied. Within the warmer waters of the Black Sea, you can see many different algae species, underwater artifacts, shipwrecks, and marine mammals like the white-bellied seal and Black Sea bottlenose dolphin.