TRAVELSPECIAL
The Masso wreck at Puerto del Carmen
Lanzarote
The crowd pleaser
Puerto del Carmen is Lanzarote ’ s key dive spot , with numerous shop-fronts and vans advertising scuba and snorkelling services . One of the most popular institutions here is Safari Diving , right on the beach at Playa Chica and a perennial favourite with BSAC groups . The shore entry is an easy stroll , though you will have to negotiate sunbathers and swimmers as you make your way from the shop to the water . Then you have a choice of different options – a large cavern , a reef wall , the sand flats and the deeper sections – each has its own character and cast list .
Having cooler water than the tropics mean that you don ’ t get reef building corals , and much of the scenery is dominated by volcanic sand . At first it looks a bit drab , but these waters are rich with fish life , and countless tiny crustaceans can be seen skittering across the seabed .
As soon as you hit the water , you will see wide-eyed flounder and Guinean pufferfish on the seabed , while a closer inspection at moorings will yield a planehead filefish or two . Out in mid-water , there is a parade of silver fish : bream and chub , salemas and European seabass .
For wreck diving , head to the Old Town Harbour at Puerto del Carmen , where various fishing vessels have been sunk to create artificial reefs . I recommend the relatively shallow wreck , the Masso , which was thick with Atlantic damselfish when I last visited .
Another memorable site is Punta Tinosa , a site dominated by stark volcanic scenery ; it ’ s a bit hit and miss in terms of its marine life , but there is a chance of finding stingrays .
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