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SCUBA-DIVING IN GRAN CANARIA
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| Gran Canaria offers
a never-ending range of possibilities when it comes to underwater
activities. Visitors to the island, which is of volcanic origin,
are amazed by the biological and ecological richness of its
seabed, as well as the beauty and variety of its underwater
scenery. |
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There are numerous
interesting places for scuba diving, which are spread out along
the entire length of the coast of Gran Canaria. Some of these
places are situated in parts of the coast that are still completely
pristine. Lovers of this sport will find numerous scuba diving
schools and clubs on the island, where you can take courses
in scuba diving throughout the year. It is also possible to
take part in organised scuba dives without being necessary to
supply your own equipment.
There are also hyperbaric chambers on the island, which are
situated in strategic positions in the North and South of the
island. |
| LAS PALMAS
DE GRAN CANARIA |
| You can practise
scuba diving right in the capital of the island, specifically
in the area of the shallows of La Isleta, which lies to the
northeast of Puerto de La Luz. Here, you can also visit numerous
sunken ships, which are a veritable sea graveyard. |
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The Las Canteras
beach is also situated in this area. This beach is an obligatory
diving spot on account of its geological richness and you simply
must experience the well-known natural reef, which consists
of compacted sandstone.
Las Canteras is an enormous aquarium that is protected from
the buffeting of the open sea by the reef, which, together with
the prohibition against fishing, has given rise to ideal conditions
for fish and plant species to flourish on the seabed, some of
these species are completely unknown in other parts of the archipelago. |
| Along the sheer
coastal area of the municipality of Agüimes, adjacent to
the beach of El Cabrón, you can find one of the best
diving spots on the island. This diving spot forms part of an
area of such richness that it has been earmarked for declaration
as the future "Marine Reserve of Arinaga". This is
a very attractive diving spot for lovers of the underwater world.
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At a depth
of twelve metres, the rocky platform drops by a further 23
metres, this is the Veril del Cabrón (the Shelf of
"El Cabrón"), where you can find the greatest
concentration of different species. At the base of the shelf,
you will find and abundance of caves and fissures that provide
refuge to drums and croakers (Umbrina canariensis and Umbrina
cirrosa), as well as some specimens of forkbearded and bigeyes
(Heteropriacanthus cruentatus). The area beyond the shelf
is predominantly sandy, where one finds striped red mullet,
striped seabream and the popular grunt of El Cabrón,
consisting of an enormous shoal of fish that belongs to the
species of Pomadasys incisus.
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Along the length of the shelf it is quite common to encounter
specimens of comb groupers and dusky groupers.
The abundance of fissures also provides the ideal refuge for
morays, but the greatest spectacle is undoubtedly the barracudas
and almaco jacks, with their unique elegance, that swim higher
up above the seafloor.
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One mile south
of the Pasito Blanco marina, which is situated in San Bartolomé
de Tirajana, you will find the sandy area where La Baja (the
Shallows) is situated. This is an ideal area for underwater
photography. Here, it is common to find parrotfish, seabream
and striped red mullet, while this is also the abode of a shoal
of grunts that is even bigger than the one at El Veril del Cabrón.
Due to the fact that this area is far away from the coast, La
Baja is an area of passage for pelagic coastal fish species,
such as the wahoo, the skipjack tuna, Spanish mackerel and large
almaco jacks. |
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The village of
Sardina del Norte is situated in the northern town of Gáldar,
which is extremely popular among the divers of Gran Canaria.
This popularity is due, especially, to the conveniently placed
fishing jetty, where you can kit up and commence the dive. One
of the main attractions of this diving spot is the possibility
of doing night dives in the vicinity of the sea wall of the
fishing harbour.
The seafloor consists of a rocky surface, which lies close to
the coast and which descends to a depth of approximately 16
to 17 metres, where you will find enormous rocks and large overhangs. |
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Caleta de Abajo
is also situated in Gáldar. This area is exposed to northern
currents, with the result that diving can only be practised
here on certain days. However, divers will never forget the
experience of diving in this area, because of the labyrinth
that is formed by the fissures and caves that are found in this
part of the seabed of Gran Canaria.
Due to the fact that this area is buffeted by the sea, you will
not find any sea urchin populations and the seafloor is densely
covered with algae. The area descends onto a rocky platform,
which is gouged by numerous ravines. The sandy substratum starts
at a depth of approximately 25 metres. |
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