Côte d'Azur · France · Reef
Calafat
Red and white gorgonian fields between 40 and 60 m
Area photo: Tangopaso · Public domain
A deep site about forty minutes out from the centre, sitting between 40 and 60 m, with large fields of red and white gorgonians across the rock. Grouper hold on the same ground and shoals of pelagic fish pass over it. Current sweeps the site and there is no shallow section to fall back on: the dive begins at 40 m.
Where it is and how deep
43.5341° N, 7.1254° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Nothing about this dive is shallow. The top of the site is 40 m and the ground runs down to 60, so the descent puts you straight onto rock that is already past recreational depth. Around forty minutes out from the centre, the boat briefing is mostly about gas, turn time and the ascent, because there is no shallower part of the site to drift onto if the plan slips.
What is down there is the gorgonian field: red and white sea fans in quantity across the rock, in the flat, dim light that comes with the depth, so a torch changes the dive completely. Grouper hold on the same ground and shoals of pelagic fish pass over it. Current sweeps the site, and the usual approach is to work along the rock with the flow rather than across it.
Marine life and season
- 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 Côte d'Azur: Water runs about 13°C in February and 25°C in August, and diving carries on year-round; the Théoule park's shore trail opens only from mid-June to mid-September.
Know before you go
- The site is swept by current: go down the line, stay in contact with the rock and plan the dive to run with the flow rather than across it.
- There is no shallow ground here — the whole site lies between 40 and 60 m, so a decompression obligation builds almost immediately and the ascent has to be part of the plan from the start.
Sources
- Calafat - Dive Site — SSI/Scubago
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