Fuerteventura · Spain · Reef
Veril Chico
A 17 to 32 m platform where angel sharks lie on the sand
Area photo: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0
A rock and sand platform running parallel to Saladar beach in Jandía, alongside Veril Grande. The ground drops from 17 metres to 32, and the site is set for Advanced Open Water divers or those with a deep certification rather than for everyone. Angel sharks and rays lie on the sand, with barracuda and groupers over the rock.
Where it is and how deep
28.0427° N, 14.3360° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
A rocky and sandy platform running parallel to Saladar beach, next to its bigger neighbour Veril Grande. The ground starts at 17 metres and goes to 32, which is why the site is set for Advanced Open Water or deep-certified divers rather than for everyone. Access is from the beach or by boat, but the depth does not change with the entry.
The dive works the line where rock meets sand. Angel sharks and rays lie up on the open bottom, groupers and moray eels are back in the rock, and conger eels take finding. Above them barracuda, Atlantic mackerel and yellowfin mackerel pass through, and there are countless smaller fish holding over the structure the whole way along.
Depth is the constraint here rather than the terrain. With the shallowest ground at 17 metres and the far end at 32, the no-decompression clock is what turns the dive, and a beach entry does not make it a casual one: the swim out, the depth reached and the way back are set before anyone gets in the water.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Barracuda
| 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
What certification do you need for Veril Chico?+
The site is described as suited to Advanced Open Water divers or those with a deep certification, because the ground runs from 17 metres to 32 with no shallow section.
Can you see angel sharks at Veril Chico?+
Angel sharks and rays are found on the sandy parts of the platform, along with groupers, moray eels and conger eels in the rock and barracuda and mackerel passing above.
Sources
- Veril Chico dive site — Scubago
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