La Restinga, Canary Islands, Spain
La Restinga is the southernmost village in Spain and the gateway to the Mar de las Calmas, a fully protected marine reserve declared in 1996 along the entire southern coast of El Hierro. The underwater terrain is the most dramatic in the Canary archipelago, dominated by sheer volcanic walls, deep arches, lava chimneys and the relatively new lava field of the 2011 El Hierro submarine eruption. Marine life is exceptional and includes large groupers, dense schools of barracuda, amberjack and bonito, regular sightings of devil rays in summer, common octopus, the elusive Atlantic spotted dolphin transiting offshore, and during winter and spring confirmed visits of whale sharks, sperm whales and short-finned pilot whales. Visibility is exceptional, regularly above 30 metres because of the lack of sediment runoff and the deep oceanic currents that wash the island. The reserve is administered with strict daily diver limits and access permits handled through local dive centres.
Information on this page, including technical data such as depth, current, visibility, access, and recommended level, is informational and may vary. Confirm actual conditions with a local operator before the dive.
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