Gökpınar Lake, which is located in Gürün district of Sivas and described as a natural aquarium, was declared a sensitive area to be strictly protected. The lake was closed to diving tourism with this decision.
Gökpınar Lake, which is 10 kilometers away from Gürün district of Sivas, frequented by tourists with its turquoise color and clear water, was declared as a “Natural Site – Qualified Natural Protection Area” in 2021.
The lake, which has a water temperature of 11 degrees in four seasons, an altitude of 1,470 meters and a depth of 10 meters, was closed to diving tourism on the grounds that it is a sensitive area to be strictly protected with the latest decision taken by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change.
In the statement made on the social media account of Yıldız Nature Sports Sports Club, which has been hosting diving tourism in the lake for 23 years, “The apple of the eye of the diving community, where we have many memories, will no longer serve us in this regard. Thank you for the valuable divers we have met so far, with whom we have made beautiful dives together, and for our students who met us underwater.”
Hakan Bakar, President of Sivas Tourism Association, stated that they were saddened that diving could no longer be done in the lake and said, “As well as those who saw this lake from the outside, it also had an important role in terms of sporting activities and diving. Divers were diving there in certain periods. Everyone saw the beauty underneath the lake.”
