Banyuls-sur-Mer & the Côte Vermeille · France · Wall · Reef
Le Troc
Drop-offs, rocks and caves between 15 and 30 m off Banyuls
Area photo: Florian Pépellin · CC BY-SA 3.0
A rock site off Banyuls-sur-Mer for intermediate and advanced divers, with drop-offs, boulders and caves between 15 and 30 m. It is a typical Côte Vermeille dive: hard, varied terrain to follow down, and groupers, moray eels, conger eels and lobsters in the holes along the way.
Where it is and how deep
42.4807° N, 3.1456° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
You descend onto rock at about 15 m and pick up the drop-off, which is the line the dive follows. The rock steps down toward 30 m, with caves opening off the faces on the way. It is a terrain dive: the pleasure is in moving from one feature to the next, drop-off to rock to cave, and looking into each before moving on to the next one down.
The caves and the gaps between the rocks are where the animals are. Groupers hold in the mouths of the recesses, moray eels and conger eels look out of the cracks, and lobsters sit back under the ledges. The 30 m ground is the deepest part of the plan; from there the return is back up the drop-off, finishing over the shallower rock near 15 m before the ascent.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Banyuls-sur-Mer & the Côte Vermeille: The Banyuls centres open year-round, but the sea averages 12 °C in February against 23 °C in August, the reserve's snorkel trail runs June to September, and the Tramontane can stop boats in any month.
Know before you go
- The caves are look-in features on the drop-off; stay outside the rock and keep a clear line to open water.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Le Troc?+
The site offers depths from 15 to 30 m over drop-offs, boulders and caves, and is described as accessible to intermediate to advanced divers.
Sources
- Le Troc - Scubago — Scubago
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