They have introduced the new name ‘Dorida’ – a fitting winning entry for the beautiful reef situated 500 m from the shore at Larnaca Bay. The reef is a thriving underwater kingdom with a wide variety of brightly-coloured marine life and sea plants such as octopi, crabs, oysters, moray eels, grouper, starfish, Posidonia seagrass – and more, but it has never been given an official name... until now! 

The competition was held among Larnaca region primary schools for ‘European Maritime Day of Cyprus’, which was held in Larnaca city from June 17-21, as part of the wider ‘Maritime Day’ that is observed across the EU. The aim of the competition was two-fold; to find an attractive name for the reef in order to enrich the Larnaca region diving experience, and to also involve students in the process, thereby raising awareness on the importance of reefs and marine biodiversity. 

A total of 17, well-thought entries were received, with the children all suggesting names that related to the sea, and providing a summary for how and why they settled on their entry. It was most encouraging to see the sensitivity and knowledge the children had regarding the protection of our seawaters and their inhabitants. 

Dorida joins our region’s other popular dive sites, the Zenobia wreck dive (one of the top 10 dive sites in the whole world), and the LEF1 and Elpida artificial reefs that were sunk in late 2019 - as well as a series of other smaller reefs and dive sites across the region. 

With its shallow depths, Dorida is perfect for any level of underwater enthusiast – make sure you visit when you are next in Larnaca region!