Cabo de Gata-Níjar · Spain · Reef
Acuario 2
Try-dive shallows at 3-5 m, groupers on the way to 16 m
Area photo: Konrad Hädener from Thun, Switzerland · CC BY 2.0
Acuario 2 is the sheltered teaching corner of the San Andrés dives, anchored at 3 m in the lee of the Levante wind. Try-dives stay in the shallows between 3 and 5 m, while certified divers descend through a meadow to 14-16 m, meeting schools of fish and unbothered groupers on the way.
Where it is and how deep
36.9932° N, 1.8855° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Acuario 2 uses a different anchorage from its neighbour El Acuario: a spot at just 3 m, better sheltered from the Levante wind, which is what makes it the operator's pick when the weather is pushing from the east. Try-dives — the baptisms — stay in the shallows between 3 and 5 m, a zone the listing describes as a paradise in its own right.
Certified divers push on, descending through a meadow towards the site's 14-16 m working depth. Along the way the listing promises schools of fish of all kinds and clueless, unbothered groupers. It is an easy, low-stress profile with nothing technical about it — the site the Carboneras operation leans on for first-time and sheltered diving.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Cabo de Gata-Níjar: Visitor season peaks spring through summer; surface water swings from 10-15 °C in winter to 21-30 °C in summer, with 22 °C still logged in October.
Sources
- Acuario 2 dive site — Scubago
- Acuario 2 dive site (SSI MyDiveGuide) — SSI MyDiveGuide
More dive sites in Cabo de Gata-Níjar
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Reef
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A WWII bomber engine standing alone in the sand at 27 m
Cave & cavern
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Cave & cavern
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Wall
Sardine schools hunted by small tuna at the end of summer
Similar dives elsewhere
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A plateau below the lighthouse with barracuda, groupers and cuttlefish