Gran Canaria · Spain · Cave & cavern · Reef
El Bufadero
A descent through an L-shaped lava tube into open water
Area photo: Gino maccanti from spain · CC BY 2.0
El Bufadero, also called El ojo de Tamarán, is a blowhole dive at Caleta de Abajo on Gran Canaria's north coast. It begins with a descent through an L-shaped tube lit from behind, its walls and ceiling covered in corals and sponges. Divers come for the tube itself and the chance of devil rays, sharks and rays.
Also known as El ojo de Tamarán, Bufadero.
Where it is and how deep
28.1671° N, 15.6804° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The start of the dive is the descent through an L-shaped tube, with backlit views out of its openings and a wide variety of corals and sponges on every wall and on the ceiling. Beyond the tube the dive reaches 27 m, where sharks and rays, lobsters and devil rays are the species divers look for.
Marine life and season
- Mobula rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Gran Canaria: Conditions stay stable almost all year on this coast, so no month stands out as a peak.
Dive videos
BUCEO EN EL BUFADERO DE LA GARITA · KARAPAT DIVE GRAN CANARIA on YouTube
Sources
- El Bufadero (ScubaGo) — ScubaGo
- Inmersiones de buceo en Gran Canaria — Buceo Norte
More dive sites in Gran Canaria
Cave & cavern
A cavern filled with schools of glasseye bigeyes
Reef
Remains of a port that served the Canaries in Columbus's day
Wreck
A ship lying upside down, its hull facing the surface
Reef
Gothic-looking volcanic rock full of vaults, arches and dykes
Reef
Golden coral and jewel anemones in a sheltered 10 m bay
Artificial reef
Old anchors and fish traps grown over with sponges and corals
Reef
Lava arches and roofless canyons to swim through
Wreck
A burnt-out merchant ship lying on its side as a reef
Similar dives elsewhere
A 25 m long cave at only 8 m, next to the mooring
A rock gate onto an 18 m plateau with two standing towers
Lava arches at 14 to 18 m on the edge of the marine reserve
The archipelago's simplest dive, 6 m average in a sheltered bay