San Sebastián & Getaria · Spain · Reef · Sand slope
El Seno
Old anchors and cannons at the sheltered mouth of Pasaia
The closest dive to the Pasaia jetty, inside the mouth of the port and sheltered by Jaizkibel and Mendiola from the north-westerly winds that spoil the sea elsewhere. Centuries of wrecks at the harbour entrance have left anchors from the XVI to XVIII centuries, cannons and ceramics on slabs that run down to sand at about 25 m.
Also known as Seno.
Where it is and how deep
43.3339° N, 1.9306° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The boat anchors at 10–12 m beside an admiralty anchor with a shank about 3 m long, one of the first ship remains on the dive. The area is large enough to need at least two dives, and both start the same way: down to the anchorage, then east along the slab past an inclined anchor, gaining depth to the sand. A conger eel usually hides near the end of this slab.
On the northern route, divers turn north on the sand along the foot of the cliff to a 2.5 m iron cannon near the wall that closes the inlet. Around that wall on its north side lies an old anchor with a 4.10 m shank, the largest in the area. The return runs south over the closing wall, past an area of large stones at about 10 m that form a roof where lobsters have been found.
On the southern route, divers follow the edge of the sand channel and the cliff south, where sole and cuttlefish are easy to find, to two canyons at about 20–22 m. They climb a sandy tongue to about 15 m and head north across the slabs to the anchorage, passing a smaller anchor of about 1.5–2 m. Conger eels, lobsters, spider crabs, octopus, nudibranchs, gorgonians and John Dory live among the rocks.
Background
The entrance to the bay of Pasaia is hard for ships because of two large shoals, La Bantxa del Este and La Bantxa del Oeste, one on each side of the channel. Over the centuries many ships were wrecked there, and anchors from the XVI to XVIII centuries of different sizes, cannons and ceramic remains rest in El Seno. Some anchors and cannons were dropped by the ships themselves, which sailed in ballast when unladen and had to get rid of it once they were loaded.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows San Sebastián & Getaria: Getaria boats sail Tuesday to Sunday from June to September and only at weekends from October to May; August has the warmest water.
Dive videos
⚓ ¡ANCLAS GIGANTES Y BOGAVANTES! 🦞🌊🇪🇸 | Seno Norte | Donosti | 26-08-2020 🤿 · Producciones Maldisub on YouTube
Inmersión nocturna en el Seno 30-05-08 · Buceo Donosti on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is El Seno sheltered from the wind?+
Yes. It lies at the mouth of Pasaia, protected by Jaizkibel and Mendiola, so it is sheltered from the prevailing north-westerly winds that make the sea in the area poor for diving.
Sources
- Buceo Donosti - El Seno — Buceo Donosti
- Scubago - El Seno — Scubago
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