Cabo de Gata-Níjar · Spain · Reef
El Acuario
Small octopus on the anchorage rock at 5 m
Area photo: Konrad Hädener from Thun, Switzerland · CC BY 2.0
El Acuario lives up to its name as an explosion of life and light off Isla de San Andrés, with a maximum depth of 14 m. From the anchorage rock at 5 m — home to small octopus — the dive works passages and cracks holding corvina, groupers and a multitude of fish, at their best from June to December.
Also known as Acuario.
Where it is and how deep
36.9938° N, 1.8845° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive begins at the anchorage point at 5 m, a rock where small octopus hold station — worth a slow look before dropping deeper. From there the site opens out on a maximum depth of 14 m, a layout the Carboneras operator's own site list describes as passageways and crevices holding corvina and a multitude of fish.
Midwater is where El Acuario earns its aquarium name: corvina and groupers hang between two waters among other species, and the listing calls the show best from June to December. The depth and the easy profile keep it within reach of any certified diver, with time to linger at each crack rather than a route to push through.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Groupers
| 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
- El Acuario dive site — Scubago
- Buceo Carboneras — inmersiones (site list) — Buceo Carboneras
More dive sites in Cabo de Gata-Níjar
Reef
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Cave & cavern
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Wreck
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
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