San Sebastián & Getaria · Spain · Reef · Wall
Ondartxo
A broken slab of boulders to zigzag through, with a wall to 32 m
An east-west slab on the slopes of Mount Ulia, a few minutes from the mouth of Pasaia, named after the old shipyard of Pasaia San Pedro. The main slab sits at about 14 m and breaks into large boulders full of holes, with a shallower route at 16–20 m along its south side and channel and a steep wall to sand at 30–32 m to the north.
Where it is and how deep
43.3367° N, 1.9393° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The boat anchors on the main slab at about 14 m, where it forms a channel with the next slab. The slab is broken into large stones, so the dive zigzags through boulders full of holes and crannies. A small, well-camouflaged cave on the south side of the slab is found by the huge boulder beside it.
For a shallower dive, the route follows the south side of the slab or the channel formed by the main slab, at 16–20 m. For more depth it heads north, where a wall falls steeply to sand at 30–32 m, and usually turns west along its foot, searching the sand, the rocks and the holes between them. To return, divers climb south to the main slab and then head east to the anchorage.
Conger eels, octopus, spider crabs and crabs are easy to find among the rocks, and sole and cuttlefish on the sand. Macro life such as nudibranchs, flatworms and shrimps is common, and the blue beyond the wall is worth watching for schools of fish and sunfish.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Mola mola
| 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.
Sources
- Buceo Donosti - Ondartxo — Buceo Donosti
- Ondartxo — scubago.com
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