When asked about some of his favourite dives, Hersonissos SCUBA diver Manolis Poulakis, one of the area's leading proponents of the sport, mentioned a sunken World War II German fighter plane lost off the coast of Crete.

"It must have been at the beginning of 1945, I don’t know exactly the date, when the German pursuit plane Messerschmitt 109 D, probably with mechanical problems, went down two miles north-westerly of the Hersonissos port," he said.

And, according to witnesses at the time, the pilot anticipated the problems and safely parachuted out and was rescued by the local fishermen."

The plane’s frame is now found in a depth of 25 metres and has become a sheltered home for many species of fish.

"In the beginning of 1970s, the local fishermen discovered its precise location, after they found in their nets various objects of the wreck," he explained. "But it was almost 10 years later before the first divers visited the plane."

Today, it is one of the most popular diving sites in the Hersonissos area, and hundreds of divers from all over the world have gone down to view the wreck. Those interested in making the dive should contact Manolis at the SCUBA Shop in Hersonissos (28970-22863) or Mr. Georganda at the SCUBAKRETA Diving Centre (28970- 24076).