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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Europe and Mediterranean

Europe and Mediterranean

Albania

A Mediterranean coast with reefs, wrecks, a protected marine area and good local food.

Clear shallow sea and white rocks at Ksamil, southern Albania
Ksamil Islands, Ksamil · Photo: Gerda Schulpe on Unsplash
Exploring

Ethics pass, with care. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard, as long as we work with the right local operator. Checked by Ocean Calling on 30 Sep 2026. Sources: Karaburun-Sazan, MedPAN MPA directory; Fishing banned in Karaburun-Sazan National Marine Park, Invest in Albania, 2021; Management Plan of Karaburun-Sazan Marine Protected Area, UNDP Albania.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The UK FCDO publishes travel advice for Albania covering safety and security, insurance, entry requirements and legal differences. The search results show no country-wide warning. Sources: UK FCDO travel advice, Albania Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

ScubaSnorkellingTurtlesDolphinsWrecks

Why Albania

Albania's coast offers scuba and snorkelling among reef life, with octopus, morays, groupers and seagrass. Himarë and Porto Palermo add good food and local culture, Sarandë and Ksamil have rocky reefs, walls and wrecks, and Vlorë, Karaburun and Sazan form a protected marine area with a strong conservation story. Dolphins may be seen from the boat, and monk seals only occasionally. June and September avoid the busiest months.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

W. SaharaKazakhstanUzbekistanRussiaFranceMaliMauritaniaIsraelLebanonPalestineTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomAzerbaijanGeorgiaSloveniaSlovakiaCzechiaSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoHimarë and Porto Palermo, AlbaniaSarandë and Ksamil, AlbaniaVlorë, Karaburun and Sazan, Albania

When to go

May-Oct. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass, with care

Good with the right operator. Here is how we choose.

Karaburun-Sazan is Albania's only marine national park, widened in 2022 to about 12,400 hectares. Zoning and site rules still need checking for each dive, so we would go outside the busiest months, use small groups, and watch dolphins or monk seals only from a calm distance, never following them.

Checked 30 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Albania

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Himarë and Porto Palermo

Exploring

A coast for scuba and snorkelling, with Mediterranean reef life, good food and local culture.

🤿 In the water: Octopus, Moray eels, Groupers, Rays, Seagrass

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Bottlenose dolphins (occasional, from the boat)

When: May-Oct. Scuba runs May to October. June and September are best, outside the July-August peak.

Sarandë and Ksamil

Exploring

Rocky reefs, walls, seagrass and wrecks on the Albanian coast.

🤿 In the water: Octopus, Moray eels, Groupers, Rays, Seagrass

When: May-Oct. Scuba runs May to October. September is quieter on the coast.

Vlorë, Karaburun and Sazan

Exploring

A protected marine area with seagrass and grouper habitats, and a strong conservation story.

🤿 In the water: Groupers, Posidonia seagrass, Coralligenous reefs, Turtles (possible)

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Bottlenose dolphins (possible, from the boat), Mediterranean monk seals (occasional)

When: May-Oct. Mainstream scuba runs May to October. June and September avoid the peak months.

Animals

Animals recorded in Albania

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Scarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernStriped dolphin leaping, dark flank stripe clearly visibleStriped dolphinStenella coeruleoalbaSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed lionfish with spread fins over sand in Dauin, PhilippinesLionfish (red and common lionfish)Pterois volitans and Pterois milesSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon octopus crawling over a rocky seabed in FranceCommon octopusOctopus vulgarisSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBasking shark swimming underwater in green water off Argyll, ScotlandBasking sharkCetorhinus maximusSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasEndangeredMediterranean monk seal head above blue water, whiskers visibleMediterranean monk sealMonachus monachusSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBlue shark swimming in open blue water off the Azores with a diver in the backgroundBlue sharkPrionace glaucaSeen in 50 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSpiny dogfish resting on the seabed at the Josephine Marie shipwreck, Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuarySpiny dogfishSqualus acanthiasSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasVulnerableDusky grouper underwater at Cabo de Palos, SpainDusky grouperEpinephelus marginatusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic bluefin tuna leaping out of choppy water, recorded in Hovedstaden, DenmarkAtlantic bluefin tunaThunnus thynnusSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon smooth-hound swimming just above a sandy seabed, with a slim grey-brown body and two dorsal finsCommon smooth-houndMustelus mustelusSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGreat cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black backGreat cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScopoli's shearwater skimming just above calm blue waterScopoli's shearwaterCalonectris diomedeaSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernEuropean shag sitting on its nest of dry grass, dark green-tinged plumage and yellow gapeEuropean shagGulosus aristotelisSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo pygmy cormorants perched on a bare branchPygmy cormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeusSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernYelkouan shearwater lifting off the sea surface with wings raisedYelkouan shearwaterPuffinus yelkouanSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBluntnose sixgill shark swimming over the seabed at depth in the Gulf of MexicoBluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
Dreaming of Albania?

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There is no trip here yet. If enough people ask, it helps us decide where to go next.

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Also in Europe and Mediterranean
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We are always happy to hear from exceptional local operators, accommodation, conservation organisations and destination experts in Albania. If your work fits responsible, small-group ocean travel, we would love to learn more.

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