Scuba diving in
Gran Canaria

This area on the east coast has developed such a reputation for the variety and quantity of marine life that it has not only been proposed as a marine reserve, but an underwater guidebook has already been produced by the local council.

• "Best Diving in Gran Canaria" - Dive Magazine March 2004
• "Best place to dive is at El Cabrón" - AA Pocket Guide
• "One of the most spectacular dive sites in the Canary Islands"
  - Diving in Canaries (Sergio Hanquest)
• "Topspot - De unieke duikplaatsen in het natuurpark voor Arinaga"
  Duiken Magazine November 2003
• "La variada y confiada fauna, junto a un fácil accesso, han hecho de esta zona la más visitada de Gran Canaria"Guía de Buceo España
• Listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest by the European Union 28/12/2001

The underwater marine life is prolific, with huge shoals of roncadores, damselfish, sardines, bream, and baracuda, other species such as wrasse and parrotfish are common throughout the reserve. Every dive can throw up surprises, from rays, to sea-horse, from glass-eye to gorgonias. You can see several of the species only found in the canaries including many Bart Umbrines (Cernia Rossa).

But it is not just the marine life which makes this area special, as the underwater scenery is stunning, with natural arches, caves, tunnels, swim-throughs and cliffs. From the main entry point there are at least four different dive routes, and altogether between eight and ten seperate dives in the reserve.

If you are only going to do a couple of dives on the island, then this is the place to head for. However despite the beauty and colour under the water the reserve itself is at the end of a dusty 'off-road' track with no visitor facilities at all (no toilets, no water, no cafes nothing). The best dives bottom out at around 22m, and are 'multi-level' which means that if you are careful with your air you can safely complete non-stop dives of 40+ minutes.

For more information on the individual dive sites in the Arinaga Marine Reserve see the special write-up on the website of the only major diving centre in Arinaga: Dive Sites in the El Cabrón Marine Reserve

For more information from the local environmental group, Patinegro, see a translation of their leaflet Playa del Cabrón - Una costa de Vida

This is a boat dive to a reef about 2km from the shore just off the southern point of the island. This is probably the best scenic dive on the South and West coast of the island. The reef is at a maximum depth of 19m and rises between one and three meters from the sand, and is roughly circular, so can be circumnavigated on one tank of air. There is a large shoal of roncadores (bastard grunts), and stingrays are fairly common. You are also likely to see trumpetfish, baracuda, filefish, black-tailed combers, morays, marmor bream and smaller reef species such as damselfish and wrasse.

Pasito Blanco artificial reef  

This is a boat dive to an artificial reef about 5km from the shore. The reef has been created on a sandy sea bed by dropping several artificial structures including blocks, tubes and concrete 'skeletons'. The area is the home to a large shoal of roncadors, barracudas, and is a good place to find angleshark and ray.

Just outside the harbour at Arguineguín, this reef lies in 14-16m and has a large permanent shoal of roncadores. Stingray, trumpetfish, morays and other common reef dwellers can also be found. Following the edge of this volcanic reef you come can hunt among the nooks and crannies for smaller species, until you arrive at the fish-ball, which will part to let you pass and then reform behind you.

There are several smaller bays along the west coast where shore diving is possible, and you can enter the water from the beach. Most of these beaches are quite steep and stony, and have a breakwater zone where visibility can be quite poor. Once outside this zone rock-strewn shores are common with a variety of the more common species such as damselfish, parrotfish, wrasse and bream. The beach at Amadores is of imported coral sand behind the breakwater, and this can get very cloudy if there is an onshore wind or strong groundswell. The undeveloped beach at Medio Almudh is suitable for shore diving and snorkelling, however it is also the local nudist beach!

These dive sites and Puerto de la Nieves are all on the opposite corner of the island to the popular tourist resorts of the south and west, making it a drive of almost 100km to get here. Few tourists therefore visit these dive sites, which are shore dives down to aproximately 15m. The rocky shore has many sea urchins and the typical harbour species of wrasse, damselfish, mullet, octopus and cuttlefish can all be found here. This can also be a good place to find Angelsharks and small rays.

Caleta del Abajo is another shore dive with some nice underwater caves, overhangs, gullys and caverns to explore. This area has not been effected by Sea Urchins in the same way as some of the more southerly dive sites, and so has a different mix or marine algeas and a rich set of invertebrates that graze them including nudibrachs, sea hares and sea slugs. In autumn it becomes a very popular dive as Manta Rays feed in this area and are frequently seen by divers.

Puerto de la Nieves (Agaete) is the terminus of the ferry to Tenerife, and from the beach it is possible to snorkel a long way out without dropping into deep water. Parking near the beach is very limited, and there are no dive schools in this area, making it once again a very long drive from the resorts of the South.

La Catedral  Lying just outside Las Palmas,this dive can only be reached by boat, and only when the wind and tide conditions are favourable - on one of those rare days when the north-easterly trade winds are not blowing, and there is no on-shore swell. This is a cavern dive where you descend to the sea-bed at 12-14m, then through large natural hoes into the cavern below. The cavern then stretches down to an amazing 45m, with light streaming in through the entry points above you in the roof. The underwater geology is spectacular, and here you can expect to find prawns, crabs and other inhabitants of limited light. This is a dive for those with more experience, particularly if there is an swell running.

The Kalais   Lying just outside Las Palmas, this is the wreck of a hundred-meter long cargo vessel, which was scuttled in the 1980's. It sits upright on the sea bed and is in an excellent state of preservation, and still boasts many artifacts and equipment. It is now the home to very big schools of barracudas and damselfish swimming around the king post which can be followed from 14 meters to the deck at 27 meters. Here you can enter the hold, which still contains much of its cargo of cement bags. At the stern the walkways provide a lovely swim-through and you can find both the bath and the cooker. For those divers qualified in wreck diving there are many penetrations including a fabulous dive into the engine room, where the whole of the engines remain intact and majestic, you can catch glimpses of light from the intact portholes and examine the sight gauges.

On the north side of Las Palmas is a long beach, Playa de Las Canteras, which is protected from the usual northerly swell by a small reef. If conditions are suitable it is possible to swim out from the beach and explore the reef, which reaches a maximum depth of 8m. You will find most of the smaller species such as damselfish, wrasse, bream. This site is better for snorkelling than diving due to access and tide conditions.

Bays of the North East  

There are several bays where shore diving is possible along the north east coast. If weather conditions are suitable you can dive these divesites which are much quieter than the more popular diving destinations such as Arinaga. At Taliarte near to Playa de Salinettas you can dive down to see a field of Gorgonias at 30m, while at Tufia, there are several entry points for snorkelling and diving down to 8-10m.

The Bay of Gando (next to the Airport) is a military area and is closed for diving, however just outside the bay, on the Gando Shoal there are several wrecks that can only be reached by boat, including the wreck of the Alphonso XII in 60m of water where it is rumoured you can still find gold coins!