Mallorca · Spain · Cave & cavern
Cueva del Gnomo / Captain Caveman
Vertical chimneys with sunbeams in a 12 m shore-entry cavern
Area photo: Bengt Nyman · CC BY 3.0
A shallow shore dive to 12 m into a small cavern system with odd rock formations, swim-throughs and vertical chimneys where sunbeams come down through the openings. Scuba Mallorca rates it easy, for all divers, and the appeal is macro: cave shrimp, slipper lobsters, nudibranchs, octopus and small congers in the shadows, with small schools of fish outside the entrance.
Also known as Captain Caveman, Cueva del Gnomo.
Where it is and how deep
39.8692° N, 3.1494° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a shore entry into a small, shallow cave system with a maximum depth of 12 m. You walk in, swim out to the rock and drop down to the entrance. The formations are the point: odd shapes in the rock that Scubago calls whimsical, swim-throughs between them and vertical chimneys that open towards the surface, so that sunbeams come straight down through the water into the passages below and light the way through.
Because it is shallow and short on distance, the dive is slow, and the brief is to look into the shadows: cave shrimp in numbers, slipper lobsters on the walls, nudibranchs on the rock, octopus in holes and small conger eels tucked back in the cracks. Outside the cave, small schools of fish hang around the entrance. Come back out the way you went in and swim back to the shore in the shallows, where the safety stop takes care of itself.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
- Nudibranchs
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Mallorca: May to October is the season, with boats out daily; the Alcúdia centre dives all year. Water peaks at 26°C in August and falls to 14–15°C in February and March; winter is wet and windy.
Know before you go
- Overhead sections: the swim-throughs and chimneys are enclosed; stay with the guide and keep an opening in view.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Captain Caveman?+
Scuba Mallorca lists a maximum of 12 m from a shore entry and rates it easy, suitable for all divers; the cave system is small and shallow.
Sources
- Cueva del Gnomo / Captain Caveman — Scubago
- The Dives — Scuba Mallorca
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Gliding through light-filled rock canyons inside 12 m