Atlantic · France
Belle-Île-en-Mer & Quiberon
Atlantic wrecks and rock dives on both sides of one strait
Belle-Île and the Quiberon peninsula face each other across a 14 km strait off southern Brittany, with a dive base on each side. Boats work rock sites of labyrinths, overhangs, drop-offs and canyons, and a string of wrecks: the trawler Philippe Eric at 20 m, the freighters Kansan and Hanan at 24 m, and the Pontoporos at 38 m. Apart from the wrecks, most sites lie around 20 m, and Level 1 divers dive them with an instructor.
About diving in Belle-Île-en-Mer & Quiberon
Diving here runs from two separate bases. On the Quiberon side, a RIB leaves the port of Portivy for the many sites close by on the peninsula's Côte Sauvage. On Belle-Île, boat trips meet on the slipway at the entrance to Le Palais harbour, and beach dives start from Deuborh, between Sauzon and the Pointe des Poulains. No dive plan is posted in advance: sites are chosen at the last minute by swell, wind, tide and the divers' level. On the peninsula a wreck dive goes out at least on Sunday morning whenever the sea allows.
Off Quiberon the rock forms labyrinths, overhangs, drop-offs and canyons, and on Belle-Île the relief continues below the surface as faults, large boulders and underwater caves. Gorgonians, kelp, boring sponges and elephant-ear sponges grow on the rock, and around 20 m the bottom is carpeted in jewel anemones. Conger eels snake between the rocks, with schools of pouting and pollack, bass, ballan wrasse, mullet and bream. Lobsters hide in the cracks, spider crabs cover the rocks by the dozen, octopus move over the rock and cuttlefish hover above the sand.
The area suits newly qualified divers and children: Belle-Île runs dive courses for children and teens, Level 1 divers dive with an instructor, and the Philippe Eric gives beginners a wreck. The island has 12 nature reserves along more than 80 km of coastline. Divers after deeper hulls need PE40 off the peninsula, since its four nearby wrecks lie deeper than 20 m. Belle-Île's west coast is battered by ocean wind, so anyone on a short visit should expect the plan to change with the weather.
Best time to dive Belle-Île-en-Mer & Quiberon
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
The Quiberon base opens in April, and spring and summer are dolphin season. The sea warms through the summer and averages about 17 °C in August. At the end of the summer cuttlefish hover above the sand. Diving continues into October, then the Quiberon season closes. In February the sea is at about 9 to 11 °C. Atlantic weather can change very fast in any month.
Dive types & marine life
Spring and summer are dolphin season, and a school sometimes passes offshore as a boat heads home. Cuttlefish are near certain at the end of the summer, hovering above the sand.
- Wreck
- Reef
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Dolphins
Best dive sites in Belle-Île-en-Mer & Quiberon
- 1
Philippe Eric
Trawler sunk in 1983 at 20 m off Belle-Île, the one wreck there open to beginners.
- 2
Kansan
American freighter sunk in 1917, lying at 24 m off Belle-Île.
- 3
Hanan
Small Dutch freighter sunk by British airmen in 1944, at 24 m.
- 4
Pontoporos
The deepest of the Quiberon wrecks at 38 m, for Level 2 divers and above.
- 5
Nann Smith
Quiberon wreck at 25 m, reserved for Level 2 divers and above.
- 6
La Basse de Palais
A rift full of life, used for a first dive from a boat.
- 7
Basse Ledan
Rock dive from 5 to 17 m that suits try-dives, beginners and experienced divers.
- 8
An Auter
Rock site off Saint-Pierre-Quiberon running from 5 to 18 m.
Site guides
Reef
Labyrinths, overhangs and canyons in one shallow rock dive
Reef
A rock that serves try-dives and seasoned divers alike
A rock dive that never goes past 14 m
Wreck
A First World War ore carrier sunk by a drifting mine
Wreck
The deepest wreck on the Quiberon dive list
How to get to Belle-Île-en-Mer & Quiberon
Road access runs from Vannes along the RN 165 to Auray, then 28 km down the peninsula to Quiberon; a summer train links Quiberon with Auray and onward to Paris. Ferries cross to Le Palais in 45 minutes, or 35 minutes by summer fast boat without vehicles. Belle-Île's aerodrome has seasonal flights to Brest, Vannes and Rennes.
Dive videos
Belle-île-en-Mer ~ Diving with the Poseidon Oxylon Rebreather · dutchfreediver on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive the wrecks off Quiberon?+
The nearby Quiberon wrecks lie deeper than 20 m, so they are open from PE40; the Nann Smith at 25 m and the Pontoporos at 38 m are reserved for Level 2 divers and above. On Belle-Île the Philippe Eric at 20 m is the one wreck open to beginners.
When is the diving season at Quiberon and Belle-Île?+
The Quiberon base dives from April to October. Summer brings the warmest water, averaging about 17 °C in August, and the dolphins; cuttlefish gather over the sand at the end of the summer.
How do divers get to Belle-Île from Quiberon?+
Ferries from Quiberon reach Le Palais in 45 minutes, or 35 minutes by the summer fast boat, which carries no vehicles. The Belle-Île dive boat meets divers at the slipway at the entrance to Le Palais harbour.
Can beginners dive at Belle-Île and Quiberon?+
Yes. Level 1 (PE20) divers dive with an instructor, most sites lie around 20 m, and Basse Ledan from 5 to 17 m suits try-dives and beginners. Sites change with swell and wind, so the plan is set on the day.
Sources
- Sites de plongée — Centre Haliotis Plongée
- Centre Haliotis Plongée — Centre Haliotis Plongée
- Explorations — Centre Haliotis Plongée
- Angelus Plongée — Angélus Plongée
- Belle-Île-en-Mer — Angélus Plongée
- Contact & Accès — Angélus Plongée
- Scuba diving in Belle-Île — Belle-Île-en-Mer Tourist Office
- Belle Île — Wikipedia
- Belle-Île-en-Mer — Wikipédia
- Quiberon — Wikipedia
- Quiberon Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
Embed
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