El Desierto

El Desierto is the last buoy of the marine reserve Mar de las Calmas on the west, just 20 minutes from the port of La Restinga, halfway to the Orchilla Lighthouse on the southwest end of the island. The location is remarkable, next to the natural pools of Tacorón and embedded in the lava fingers and a huge volcano cut in hald at its back, the setting will leave you speechless.

This dive spot is called The Desert but it is neither a barren nor a lifeless one, quite the opposite, the possibilities of seeing lots of different marine animals are endless within the many types of terrain and the constantly changing seaescape. We start and finish at the tip of a gorgeous, shallow, rocky reef made of solidified lava, full of cracks and crevices, where all sea life is constantly swinging, gently pushed by the mild coastal current. To the west, a seemingly endless sandy plain extends as far as you can swim, and to the south we find a drop-off, where the seabed collapses creating a most charming wall, followed by canyons disappearing into the deep.

El Desierto has countless species of fish and other creatures. Over the immense sand plateau be ready for the largest garden eel colony in all of the Canary Islands, hundreds and hundreds of this skinny fish inhabit the bottom, as well as all kinds of benthic animals such as rays, flounders, lizard and razorfish, even hermit crabs cruising around, and in winter, when the water is the coldest 19ºC , Angel Sharks come to rest buried in the sand, and hunt on the reef at night. Between the drop-off and the canyons, we always need to be on the lookout for animals that may pass by up above, including trumpetfish, jurels, triggerfish, amberjacks, barracudas or even Mobula Rays. Diver size groupers and saddled seabreams, morays, and leopard eels complete the ample selection of life that surround us in these waters.

The conditions here are usually the best in the entire reserve, enclosed in this privileged location, right in the middle of the south face of the island. Totally protected against the trade winds by the high walls of the volcano cone cut in half, it has unbeatable access from the boat and into the reef itself, and the underwater visibility is often reaching up to 30 meters. Only with the occasional groundswell from the south conditions worsen, affecting mostly the most shallow part where the waves break bigger.

This dive does not require any special certification, as it can be done with a maximum depth of 20 meters for beginner licenses and 30 meters for advanced certifications, where we can descend to see the deepest part of the drop-off.