Dive Info Canary Islands

Great excuse to get into the water

Heatwave alert issued for five Canary Islands as temperatures soar above 30°C Meteorologists are warning of unusually high temperatures for the time of year…

One of my personal favorites, a world where art and ocean meet.

Museo Atlántico
📍 Lanzarote, Playa Blanca

Submerge yourself in Europe's only underwater museum. The Museo Atlántico is an extraordinary dive site featuring a collection of concrete sculptures by artist Jason deCaires Taylor. This unique artificial reef was created to promote conservation and show how nature can reclaim human spaces.

📋 Briefing:
The site is at a maximum depth of 14 meters on a sandy seabed. Visibility is typically very good, often around 15 to 20 meters. There are usually no strong currents, making it a calm dive. It is designed for divers of all levels, from beginners to experienced pros. The site is only accessible by boat from nearby Playa Blanca.

✨ Site Highlights:
The main highlights are the sculptures themselves. You will glide over stunning installations like "The Raft of Lampedusa," a modern take on a historical tragedy, and "The Rubicon," a group of 35 figures walking towards a wall. The way the light plays on the statues and the developing marine growth makes for a truly surreal experience.

🐠 Marine Life:
The sculptures have become a thriving home for marine life. As you explore the artwork, you will be joined by large schools of barracuda and bream. Angel sharks and stingrays are often seen resting on the sandy bottom between exhibits. Octopus, damselfish, and parrotfish are also common residents among the statues.

🤝 Conservation Focus:
The sculptures are a living art installation. Please do not touch them, as this can damage both the artwork and the delicate marine life that has made it their home.

Have you ever visited an underwater museum? Share your thoughts below!

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Stripes aren't just for zebras on land! Meet the Zebra Seabream, a beautiful and shy fish that brings a touch of safari to our Atlantic waters.

Diplodus cervinus
Zebra Seabream

With its striking silver body and 5 to 6 broad, dark brown vertical bands, the Zebra Seabream is easy to identify. These fish are often cautious around divers and prefer to keep their distance. You can usually see them in small, calm groups swimming near rocky ledges or over seagrass beds.

👀 Observing in the Canaries:
The Zebra Seabream is a common resident in the Canary Islands. Look for it along rocky coastlines and in seagrass meadows at depths from 3 to 80 meters, though they are most frequently spotted by divers between 10 and 40 meters. They are active during the day and can be seen all year round, making them a familiar sight for both divers and snorkelers.

🤯 Fun Fact:
The Zebra Seabream is a "protogynous hermaphrodite." This means that all of them are born female. As they grow older and larger, some of them will change s*x to become male, ensuring the survival of the group.

🔵 - Least Concern (LC)
This species has a stable and widespread population and is not facing any major threats.

Ever wanted to swim in an aquarium?

Playa de Vueltas
📍 La Gomera, Valle Gran Rey

This spot is a real treasure within the beautiful Valle Gran Rey. Protected by the harbor wall, the water here is almost always calm and clear, making it a fantastic and safe place for new divers and families. It’s the perfect place to take your first breaths underwater or enjoy a relaxed swim.

📋 Briefing:
This is a shallow shore dive, with a maximum depth of around 5 to 10 meters. The visibility is generally good, often exceeding 15 meters. Thanks to the harbor wall, there are no currents to worry about. It’s an ideal site for snorkelers and beginner divers. Accessibility is very easy, right from the beach.

✨ Site Highlights:
The main feature is the calm, enclosed bay created by the harbor wall. The sandy bottom is dotted with rocks that provide homes for many creatures. The sunlight penetrating the clear, shallow water makes the whole area bright and inviting, perfect for underwater photography.

🐠 Marine Life:
The bay is teeming with life. You will be surrounded by schools of damselfish, wrasse, and bream. Look closely near the rocks and you might spot an octopus or cuttlefish. This area is also known for frequent sightings of rays resting on the sand and even sea turtles that sometimes visit the bay.

🤝 Conservation Focus:
Many animals make their homes on and around the harbor wall. Please avoid touching the structure and keep a respectful distance from any marine life you encounter.

What's the most amazing thing you've seen in a harbor? Let us know below!

Ever seen a fish that looks up at the stars? Meet the master of ambush, the Atlantic Stargazer! This unique fish spends most of its life buried in the sand, with only its eyes and mouth peeking out.

Uranoscopus scaber
Atlantic Stargazer

The Atlantic Stargazer has a body perfectly designed for life on the seabed. Its dark, mottled color provides excellent camouflage against the sand and mud. This fish has a large, upward-facing mouth and eyes on top of its head, which gives it its "stargazing" name.

👀 Observing in the Canaries:
The Atlantic Stargazer is found throughout the Canary Islands, particularly in sandy or muddy areas in harbors and bays. Look for them in places like Las Teresitas in Tenerife or the bays around Gran Canaria. They are typically found at depths between 15 and 50 meters. Since they are so good at hiding, you'll need a keen eye to spot them. They are most active at dusk and dawn, making these the best times to find them. They are an uncommon but rewarding sight for divers.

🤯 Fun Fact:
This fish has a secret weapon! It has a small, worm-like lure inside its mouth that it wiggles to attract unsuspecting prey. When a small fish or crustacean comes to investigate, the stargazer ambushes it with lightning speed.

🔵- Least Concern (LC)
This species is not a target for commercial fisheries, and there are no major threats to its population.

Ready to explore the beginner friendly Amadores Beach?

Amadores Beach
📍Gran Canaria, Mogán

Amadores Beach is a beautiful shore dive, perfect for divers of all levels. The calm, clear waters of this sheltered bay make it an ideal spot for training, refreshing skills, or simply enjoying a relaxed underwater tour. The easy beach entry leads to a sandy bottom that gently slopes, allowing for a comfortable and safe experience.

📋 Briefing:
This site has a maximum depth of around 15 meters. Visibility is excellent, often reaching over 20 meters in the summer. Currents are almost non-existent, making it a very safe environment. It is perfect for beginner divers and snorkelers, but certified divers will also appreciate the calm conditions for photography or a relaxing dive. The site is accessible from the shore.

✨ Site Highlights:
The main underwater features include a gentle, sandy slope and a man-made breakwater that has developed into an artificial reef. This structure provides shelter for marine life. A notable feature is a small, artificial reef made from old tires, which has become a popular habitat for many species.

🐠 Marine Life:
The bay is a nursery for a variety of marine animals. You can expect to see large schools of roncadores (bastard grunts), damselfish, and bream. Cuttlefish are very common here, often seen hovering over the sand. It is also a great place to spot octopus, parrotfish, and different types of wrasse. If you look carefully on the sandy bottom, you might find stingrays and the occasional angel shark.

🤝 Conservation Focus:
The sandy bottom is more delicate than it looks. Practice good buoyancy to avoid stirring up the sand, which can disturb the animals that live there.

Have you ever dived at Amadores? Share your experience in the comments!

Have met the incredible Red Comb Star!?

Astropecten aranciacus
Red Comb Star

This large starfish is a master of the sandy plains. It has distinctive pointed arms with a fringe of long spines, which it uses to 'comb' the sand and move quickly. Unlike many other starfish, its tube feet lack suckers and are pointed, perfect for digging into its sandy home.

👀 Observing in the Canaries:
You can find the Red Comb Star on sandy or muddy seabeds around all the Canary Islands. Look for them from shallow depths of just a few metres down to 100 metres. They are often partially buried in the sand while hunting for their next meal, so keep your eyes peeled for their tell-tale shape. They can be seen all year round.

🤯 Fun Fact:
This starfish is a surprisingly fast and greedy hunter! It does not digest its food inside its body. Instead, it swallows its prey (like clams and snails) whole into a special cardiac stomach, digests it, and then spits out the empty shell.

⚪️ - Not Evaluated (NE)

Ready to dive a true legend? If you are looking for a world-class dive that shows the wild heart of the Atlantic, this is it.

El Bajón

📍El Hierro, La Restinga

This incredible dive site is a submerged volcano. Its peak starts just below the surface and its steep walls drop away into the deep blue. It is a magnet for marine life and a must-do for any experienced diver visiting the Canaries.

📋 Briefing:
The top of the volcano is between 6 and 9 meters deep, but the walls plunge to over 100 meters. For recreational diving, you will explore a max depth of 40 meters. Visibility is often amazing, reaching 30 meters or more. Strong currents are common here, making it a dive for advanced divers only. Access is only by boat.

✨ Site Highlights:
The geology here is breathtaking. You are diving on a massive volcanic cone that rises from the seafloor. The walls are covered in interesting formations, with terraces and overhangs to explore. The feeling of floating next to this underwater mountain is an adventure you will not forget.

🐠 Marine Life:
Because of the currents and its location in the open ocean, El Bajón attracts big animals. You can expect to see huge schools of jacks and barracudas. Large groupers are residents on the reef, and you might even see amberjacks, tunas, or devil rays passing by in the blue.

🤝 Conservation Focus:
The currents here can be strong. Good buoyancy control is key to staying safe and protecting the reef walls from accidental bumps.

What's the most exciting big fish you have ever seen on a dive?

Ever seen a peacock's tail shimmering under the sea?

Padina pavonica, Peacock's Tail

This beautiful fan-shaped brown alga is a true gem of the shallow coastal waters. Its unique shape and concentric rings of pale green and brown make it instantly recognizable. It plays an important role in its ecosystem, providing shelter for small invertebrates and contributing to the sandy seafloor.

👀 Observing in the Canaries:
You can find Peacock's Tail in sunlit, shallow rocky areas and tide pools across all the Canary Islands. It prefers sheltered spots, often attaching to rocks or shells in sandy or silty bottoms. Keep an eye out for its distinctive fan shape from the shore to about 20 meters deep.

🤯 Fun Fact:
Peacock's Tail is one of the very few brown algae in the world that calcifies! It deposits fine layers of calcium carbonate (aragonite) on its surface, which gives it the characteristic whitish, concentric bands and a slightly rigid texture.

Conservation Status:
⚪️Not Evaluated (NE)

Las Cruces de Malpique

Location: La Palma, Fuencaliente

This is one of the most unique and moving dive sites in the world. In 1999, 40 stone crosses were submerged here to create an underwater monument honoring the 40 Jesuit missionaries who were martyred by pirates in this exact spot in 1570. Today, it is a stunning tribute surrounded by the vibrant life of the Atlantic.

📋 Briefing:
Max Depth: 25 meters. This site is suitable for all levels of certified divers. It is accessed via a short boat trip from the south of La Palma. Visibility is typically excellent, often exceeding 25 meters, and the area is generally free from strong currents, making for a calm and contemplative dive.

✨ Site Highlights:
The main highlight is the breathtaking sight of the 40 stone crosses standing in the white sand, creating a truly unforgettable and solemn underwater landscape. The surrounding area is a beautiful volcanic reef with arches, small caves, and interesting rock formations to explore once you have paid your respects at the monument.

🐠 Marine Life:
The volcanic reef around the crosses is teeming with life. Large shoals of damselfish, grunts, and bream are a common sight. Look for moray eels and octopus hiding in the crevices of the reef. The area is also visited by larger species like amberjacks, barracudas, and occasionally, graceful eagle rays gliding over the sand.

🤝 Conservation Focus:
This site is a memorial and a protected area. It is vital to show respect by not touching or disturbing the crosses. Practice good buoyancy to avoid kicking up sand, which can obscure the view for others and harm the delicate marine life on the reef.