Menorca · Spain · Wall
Barbada de Cala Galdana
A south-facing canyon to 35 m with an old anchor at its base
Area photo: Alejandro Muñoz Cabrisas · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Barbada is a submerged canyon off Cala Galdana, facing south, with the floor of the canyon at its inshore end lying at 35 metres. The base is full of cavities that shelter fish, and an anchor of unrecorded origin sits down there with large scorpionfish usually on it. Groupers, barracuda and snappers work the canyon, and rays are reported in the low season.
Where it is and how deep
39.9249° N, 3.9529° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive is on a submerged canyon that opens south off Cala Galdana. The floor at the end closest to the coast lies at 35 metres, which is the deep part of the dive, and the canyon runs out from there towards open water. At that depth the bottom time is limited, so the cavities at the base of the canyon are what the dive is planned around rather than ground covered.
At the base the rock is full of cavities, and they are the refuge for most of what lives here: groupers and scorpionfish set back in the holes, octopus, snappers and meagre out from the wall. A mysterious anchor lies on the bottom, normally with large scorpionfish as its residents. Barracuda pass over the canyon, and rays are reported there in the low season.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Menorca: Menorca's tourist season runs May to October; June to September holds the warmest water, near 25–27°C in August, while February and March fall to about 12–14°C.
Sources
- Barbada de Cala Galdana — Scubago
In The Logbook
- What wetsuit for what water temperatureGear & kit · 11 min read
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