Mallorca · Spain · Reef
Es Banc de S'Oll
Rocky plateaus and small caves stepping from 8 m down to 30 m
Area photo: Rafael Ortega Díaz · CC BY-SA 4.0
Es Banc de S'Oll is a reef bank off Mallorca's southwest coast, running from 8 down to 30 m over rocky plateaus, small caves and sandy patches. The dive is a tour of that structure with bream and barracuda in the water, octopus and moray eels in the rock, and groupers, scorpionfish and lobsters for those who look into the holes, with Posidonia seagrass and sponges along the reef.
Where it is and how deep
39.4584° N, 2.5154° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The bank starts at 8 m and the dive drops onto its upper plateaus first. The structure is rock broken into plateaus, small caves and sandy patches, and the route follows the rock down through those levels, so how deep you go is set by the group: the site is described as suitable for all levels, and an Open Water group can keep to the upper plateaus while an Advanced group works down toward the 30 m floor.
The life is spread across the structure. Bream and barracuda are in the water over the rock, octopus and moray eels sit in the holes, and groupers, scorpionfish and lobsters can be found by looking into the small caves and under the ledges of rock. Posidonia seagrass grows on the sand between the plateaus and colourful sponges cover the reef. Working back up the plateaus toward the 8 m end of the bank gives a natural finish and a place for the safety stop.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Mallorca: One Santa Ponça centre runs daily April–October and weekends only Nov–Mar; May–Sep brings the calmest seas and warmest water, with leisure-boat traffic in the bays at the height of summer.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Es Banc de S'Oll?+
Depths range from 8 to 30 m over rocky plateaus, small caves and sandy patches, so the upper plateaus suit Open Water divers and the floor wants Advanced.
What will I see at Es Banc de S'Oll?+
Bream, barracuda, octopus and moray eels are the regulars, with groupers, scorpionfish and lobsters in the caves and holes, Posidonia seagrass on the sand and colourful sponges along the reef.
Sources
- Es Banc de S'Oll — Scubago
More dive sites in Mallorca
Wall
Overhangs and rock walls to 20 m, good for finding octopus
Rocky walls, sand and small caves in 5 to 20 m of calm water
A 30 m tunnel through the cliffs from 6 m, plus a cavern with an air bubble
A plateau below the lighthouse with barracuda, groupers and cuttlefish
Wreck
A small boat at 18 m with mast and boxes intact, two more hulls at 27 m
Cavern entrances at 8 m, with shrimps, lobsters and snake starfish inside
Reef
Tunnels through the rock, a small wreck and a plane wing between 6 and 35 m
Wreck
Four of Mallorca's largest wrecks together at 28 m off Palma harbour
Similar dives elsewhere
A 50-minute lap of a rocky islet a mile off Alyko Bay
Grouper, barracuda and fan mussels on rocks at 18–20 m
Grouper town: rocks and reef at 16 to 30 m with barracuda schools
Barracuda circling over a reef 50 m off the beach