Côte d'Azur · France · Cave & cavern
Grotte à Corail, Lion de Mer
Mediterranean red coral in a grotto at 30 to 33 m
Area photo: Tangopaso · Public domain
The Lion de Mer rock off Saint-Raphaël holds a cave at around 30 to 33 m whose fissures carry Mediterranean red coral. A rocky cliff leads down to the entrance, and the grotto inside is full of gorgonians, moray and conger eels and grouper. The dive can be combined with the Voilier wreck at 36 to 38 m close by.
Also known as La Grotte à Corail.
Where it is and how deep
43.4063° N, 6.7739° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive starts on the rocky cliff below the Lion de Mer and follows it down to the mouth of the grotto at around 30 to 33 m. That is deep for an overhead, so the visit inside is short and deliberate rather than exploratory: in along one wall, out the same way, with the ascent already agreed before anyone puts a head through the entrance.
Inside, gorgonians hang from the rock, conger and moray eels sit back in the cracks and grouper use the entrance. The reason to come is the Mediterranean red coral growing in the fissures, which needs a light to read as red at all. The wider site is one of the richest for flora and fauna in the Fréjus and Saint-Raphaël area, with crustaceans and nudibranchs across the surrounding rock.
The dive can be combined with the Voilier wreck at 36 to 38 m, which lies close by and deeper again. Pairing the two makes for a demanding morning that wants a worked gas and ascent plan rather than two casual dives, and it is worth deciding in advance which of them gets the time — the grotto repays a slow pass more than a quick look through.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
| 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 grotto is an overhead at 30 m or more: take a torch, keep the group in single file with an agreed turn point, and treat time inside as time on a deep dive.
Questions divers ask
What is the coral cave at Lion de Mer?+
A grotto in the rock at around 30 to 33 m whose fissures carry Mediterranean red coral. Gorgonians, moray and conger eels and grouper share the same cave, and the rock outside holds crustaceans and nudibranchs.
Sources
- Grotte à Corail, Lion de Mer - Dive Site — SSI/Scubago
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