Fuerteventura · Spain · Reef · Sand slope
Montaña Roja
A shore-parallel reef with angel sharks on the sand in winter
Area photo: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0
A volcanic reef in front of the dune beaches that runs south to north, almost perfectly parallel to the shoreline. Divers drop onto the top of it at about 10 metres and down to the sand at 18 to 20, then follow the slope in either direction. Rays are on the sand through the year and there are good chances of angel sharks in winter.
Where it is and how deep
28.6285° N, 13.8178° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef is a volcanic ridge in front of the beaches along the dunes, running south to north in an almost perfect parallel with the shoreline. You descend at around 10 metres onto the top of it, then drop down its seaward side to the sand, which is reached at a maximum of 18 to 20 metres. From there the dive follows the slope, north or south.
The line where rock meets sand is where the dive is spent. Different species of rays are on the bottom throughout the year, and in winter there is a good chance of angel sharks, which is the reason to give this site a cold-month tank. Out in the blue, jacks and barracuda work over the schools of sardines that are always present.
It is an undemanding profile by the island's standards: nothing below 20 metres, no overhead, and the top of the reef at 10 metres to come back to for the stop. What decides the dive is which way along the slope the group goes and how long it wants on the sand, rather than gas or no-decompression time running out.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Barracuda
- Sardine baitballs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Fuerteventura: Divable in every month; water runs 18–23°C, coolest in late winter and warmest from August into October, and the desert climate keeps conditions mild.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Montaña Roja?+
Divers descend onto the top of the reef at around 10 metres and drop to the sand at a maximum of 18 to 20 metres, then follow the slope north or south.
When is the best time to see angel sharks here?+
Winter. The site is reported to give good chances of angel sharks in the cold months, while different species of rays are on the sand all year round.
Sources
- Montaña Roja dive site — Scubago
More dive sites in Fuerteventura
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A reef edge at 7 m that steps down to past 40 m
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A diveable breakthrough in an 18 m rock wall at 32 m
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A volcanic plateau at 24 m dropping to sand at 35 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Amphitheatre reef in the underwater park, 10–24 m
Volcanic caves and coral blocks inside 18 metres
Big sheltering rocks between 13 m and 20 m
Three cannons and ammunition on the seabed at about 20 m