Thought we'd visit Mochlos today and took the main road east around Mirabello bay and turned off to follow the windy road down to the sleepy seaside village. There are some tavernas at the water's edge by the tiny harbour, and near the parking there were archaeological excavations going on that you're not allowed to wee on (there was a sign to say so).
Mochlos Island was directly opposite, and the excavated Minoan houses visible from the mainland. It didn't look good for snorkelling at first, but later the wind dropped a bit and conditions improved.
We walked back to get my kit and I returned to the slipway and went in here. I had a quick look at the fish tank (it was easy to find and had been visible from the road down to the village) then swam across to the island. I'd read that there are strong currents here to be wary of, but there was none. I could see no sign current looking at the boats, moorings, or the surface of the water; underwater there were no streaming particles or trailing weed. I used the blob, a good idea for a crossing, and there were speedboats and jet skis moored and on the slipway and a few fishing boats pootling about. Swimming over, the bottom was uninteresting and all I saw where anchors and ropes and chains.
A few people swam to the island, and a group on sit-on kayaks clattering about, stopped for a while. I landed and had a look round, walked up the hill and took a few pictures. It was very hot, and I was glad to get back in the water. I swam around the island a bit; perhaps I should have tried to go round, but didn't want to be too long. I crossed back over the shallower water to the west slightly and went over some slabby reefy bits, perhaps it was the sunken causeway? Found Yas and sorted kit and decided on a taverna. We had a fantastic (and cheap) meal, in the sun, at the waters edge.
We were both glad we stayed at Mochlos. On the way back, along the north facing coast, it was much choppier; so some of the other places that looked promising weren't suitable. Another sheltered bay at Istron we fancied turned out to be private and off limits, and didn't at that want to stop at the busier municipal beaches. We drove through Elounda (getting lost a bit then following our noses down to the road and out to Plaka). There was a lot of holiday traffic and bikes etc,.. and we were pleased to arrive, though rather displeased with the naughty French boy lobbing stones about next to where we parked, into someone's back yard, and whacking our car.
Plaka's a relatively peaceful place, with a good sheltered pebble and sand beach, and some tavernas (we'd been there earlier and caught a boat to Spinalonga). I swam to rocks at the northern side of the bay and it was far better than I was expecting. There was good amount of fish and lots yellow anenomes, like at Kato Zakros.
I found some good places to feed the fish, and saw various animals I hadn't seen before. There were bulky warty crabs lodged in a crevice, and another sort amongst the stones, with long thin tarantuala-like legs (with yellow bits). In another hole I found a big blobby creature (10"-12" long) with a soft wrinkly body, light brown with black rings which turned a very large sea slug. I enjoyed all this and a nice long swim, and everything was grand, except however for the extremely painful anenome stings and accompanying blistery swellings on my arm. Perhaps I should have worn the rash vest.
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