Costa Blanca · Spain · Reef
El Portet
A varied 10–20 m reef with everything from lobsters to barracuda
Area photo: diego_cue · CC BY-SA 3.0
Moraira's local reef, a mixed site at 10 to 20 m with something for every diver: rock, vegetation, coral growth and a long list of Mediterranean fish. Octopus, red mullet, moray eels, scorpionfish, parrotfish and lobsters live in the reef, with stingrays, flying gurnards and barracuda on the list as well.
Where it is and how deep
38.6813° N, 0.1473° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
El Portet is the varied dive close to Moraira, and the profile is simple: the site runs from 10 m at the top to 20 m at the bottom, so most of the dive is spent at a mid depth working over the reef. What the site offers is range rather than any single feature, with rock, vegetation and coral growth mixed together and a marine-life list wide enough to keep a camera busy for the whole dive.
In the rock look for octopus, moray eels, scorpionfish and lobsters, with red mullet and parrotfish moving over the reef. Stingrays and flying gurnards are bottom-dwellers, so look for them on the open ground between the rock, and barracuda are on the operator's list for the water above. With the top of the site at 10 m, the end of the dive is spent over the shallower reef before the ascent.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Barracuda
- Stingrays
| 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 Costa Blanca: Dived all year, but the water sits near 14 °C from January to March and the season is treated as starting in spring; peak-season boat traffic closes some cave surfacing.
Questions divers ask
How deep is El Portet?+
The reef runs from 10 to 20 m, which keeps the dive within Open Water limits and gives a long, easy profile.
What marine life is at El Portet?+
Octopus, red mullet, barracuda, moray eels, scorpionfish, parrotfish, stingrays, flying gurnards and lobsters are all listed for the site.
Sources
- El Portet - Scubago — Scubago
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