Reefwander
Dark volcanic cliffs curve around the calm blue water of a small cove at Cap d'Agde

Cap d'Agde · France · Reef

Le Langoustier

Faults and overhangs in two coralligenous blocks at 21 m

Area photo: Christian Ferrer · CC BY-SA 3.0

Le Langoustier is two massive coralligenous blocks standing on sand about 30 m apart, on a 21 m bottom off Cap d'Agde. The interest is in the structure: faults run through the blocks and overhangs cut under them, and that shaded rock holds gorgonians, congers, spiny lobsters, scorpionfish and squat lobsters.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Le Langoustier: typical dive to 21 m (to 70 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit21 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

43.2504° N, 3.5147° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

Two massive coralligenous reefs stand on the sand here, isolated from one another by about 30 m, with the site given as 21 m deep. The dive is a crossing between the two: down onto the first block, around it, out over the open sand, then onto the second, with the way back made along whichever face still has time left in it.

The blocks are cut with faults and undercut with overhangs, and that shaded rock is where the life is. Gorgonians grow off the faces. Congers lie back in the faults, spiny lobsters are on it in numbers, as the name suggests, scorpionfish sit still against the rock and squat lobsters work the overhangs. It is a slow dive with a torch in hand rather than a swim with a view.

Marine life and season

  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Le Langoustier
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Off-seasonOff-seasonFairFairGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFair

Season follows Cap d'Agde: Abyss Plongée opens March to December; the sea averages 12 °C in February and 22 °C in August, and the Tramontane or Mistral can stop the boats in any month.

Sources

  1. Le Langoustier — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)

More dive sites in Cap d'Agde

A sheltered 7 m dive beside the Deux Frères rocks

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Black volcanic rock in 3–11 m, with octopus through the holes

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Two 2 m blocks where a dive can count fifty spiny lobsters

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A run of coralligenous rock on a 21 m bottom

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Coralligenous rocks at 18–19 m west of the Brescou rock

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Artificial reef

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White gorgonian at 35–40 m, dived on technical setups

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