The El Cabron Marine reserve on the east coast of Gran Canaria is one of the best dive sites in the Canary Islands. The geology underwater has created a large volcanic shelf at 12-14m, known as the 'Veril de Arinaga' or the Table Top. Around the edge this drops down to the sand at 20-22m, and seems to attract a profusion of marine life. The area has a rich variety of species, with over 50 common fish species, including angelsharks, 5 types of stingray, seahorses, cephlapods, and many invertebrates including arrowhead spider crabs, sponges, giant gorgonias and anemones and several species of starfish. More than the variety, on your first dive you will probably be amazed at the quantity of fish, big shoals of damselfish, grunts, barracuda, sardines and bream. In addition there are numerous occaisional marine visitors such as blue shark, manta ray, triggerfish, and tuna which can surprise even the local dive guides.
The El Cabrón marine reserve has a series of different dive entry points which lead the diver to stunning underwater scenery such as the huge Arinaga Arch, the caves and the cliffs around the edge. This makes the site ideal for divers of all levels, as there are areas suitable for beginners and underwater photographers in 2-8m with abundant life, progressive areas with dives in the 10-15m depth, and the main dives are at a great recreational depth of 15-20m. For really experienced divers you can get down to 30m to see the giant (2m wide) gorgonia. Best of all for many, these are all shore dives, so no long boat journeys or problems with sea-sickness.
The marine Reserve itself is 'off-road' just outside Arinaga, and most tourists stay in the Resorts of Maspalomas or Playa del Ingles in the South of the Island. Most dive schools will pick you up and bring you into the Reserve. For those that want a 'typically spanish' holiday there is a small amount of local accomodation in Arinaga available through the main dive centre in the town.
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