Tenerife · Spain · Wall
Galeones
An arch at 38 to 45 m on a ledge that falls to 60
A rocky ledge on the east coast at 38 metres that drops to almost 60. An arch cuts through it, passable between 38 and 45 metres, and the ledges below it are thickly colonised. Large groupers, schools of barracuda and moray eels hold on the rock, with large amberjacks out in the blue on a lucky day.
Where it is and how deep
28.3999° N, 16.3195° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive begins at 38 metres, where the rocky ledge sits, and the ground below it drops to almost 60 — so this is planned as a deep dive from the boat down, with the profile settled before anyone gets wet. The feature is an arch cut through the ledge that divers pass through between 38 and 45 metres, and it is the natural spine of the route.
Growth hangs from the ledges below the arch, totally colonised, and the rock holds large groupers, which are easy to find here, along with imposing schools of barracuda and sierras and moray eels. Out off the wall, with luck, there are large amberjacks. Bottom time at this depth is short on any mix, so pick one pass — usually the arch — and leave the rest of the ledge for another dive rather than stretching the plan.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Tenerife: Divable all year in 18–25°C water; Jun–Oct is warmest and calmest, and winter swell mainly affects the north coast.
Know before you go
- Everything worth seeing here is between 38 and 60 metres, which puts the whole dive in decompression territory: gas and ascent are decided on the boat, not on the ledge.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Galeones dive site?+
The rocky ledge is at 38 metres and drops to almost 60. The arch through it is passable between 38 and 45 metres, which is where most of the dive is spent.
Sources
- Galeones - Scubago — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
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