Cabo de Palos & Islas Hormigas · Spain · Reef · Sand slope
Bajo el Descargador
Gorgonians on the vertical north wall of a submerged island
Area photo: Marta T López · CC BY-SA 4.0
A submerged island of rock standing out of a sandy bottom, with about 15 m under the boat at its deepest and shelter from both the levante and the leveche. A gorgonian or two grow on the vertical north wall, eagle rays and stingrays cross the sand, and a slow look turns up seahorses, which is why underwater photographers rate it.
Where it is and how deep
37.6190° N, 0.7077° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
El Descargador is a submerged island: a rise of rock standing out of a sandy bottom, with about 15 m under the boat at its deepest. It is an easy dive by the standards of this coast — suitable for any level, with little current — and it is sheltered from the east wind and from the leveche out of the southwest, so it holds up on days that shut the exposed ground down.
The north face is the one to spend time on. It stands vertical, and the occasional gorgonian grows on the wall, which is also the angle that shows the rock best as it lifts off the bare bottom. Away from the wall the rock breaks down into the surrounding sand, and that boundary is where the rays cross: eagle rays and stingrays both work the sandy ground around the island.
The rest of the dive rewards patience rather than distance. Red mullet, pearly razorfish and bream feed over the sand, and a careful look into the rock and the growth on it turns up seahorses, elusive enough that finding one is the point of going slowly. Combined with the shallow maximum depth and long bottom times, it is the reason underwater photographers rate this rock highly.
Marine life and season
- Eagle rays
- Stingrays
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Cabo de Palos & Islas Hormigas: Jun–Oct has the warmest water and the calmest crossings; winter is clearest but cold, and easterly winds close the seamounts year-round.
Sources
- Bajo el Descargador — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
- Cabo de Palos — Club Buceo Toledo
- Where do we dive? — Centro de Buceo Islas Hormigas
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