Liveaboard diving in
Artificial Reef
Must see
Building artificial reefs in the waters of the Canary Islands was a popular initiative in the early 1990s for the purpose of increasing fishing yields. The Artificial Reef dive site in the waters of Gran Canaria is near Pasito Blanco. The University of Las Palmas made the reef in 1994 with another objective: to protect the species that are going extinct due to fishing methods that are unsafe for them. The reef is a ridge of concrete blocks arranged in a specific way that lies at a shallow depth on a sandy bottom.
When To Go Diving
May through October is the most optimal period of the year to visit the Artificial Reef near Gran Canaria, although the seasonal differences in water temperature aren’t that dramatic: 20C/68F in winter compared to 25C/77F in summer. Based on the depth, visibility, and strength of the currents, it can be said that this is a relatively safe dive site which is also suitable for underwater photography.
What to see
The reef was built 20 years ago, and it can be said that the reef is achieving its goal, with a large variety of marine species choosing this as their home, such as angel sharks, octopi, moray eels, roncadores, lizardfish, and wrasses.