Puerto de Mogan, Canary Islands, Spain

Pasito Bea

Pasito Bea is a sheltered shallow reef just inshore of the more famous Veril Grande, off Puerto de Mogan on Gran Canaria's southwest coast. The site is built on a series of low volcanic boulder fields and small ridges from 6 metres on the upper reef to 25 metres on the outer sand bottom. Because it is protected from the prevailing northeast trade winds and from swell by the larger seamount offshore, it is one of the most reliable training and entry-level sites of the Mogan area, and a popular choice for night dives. From December to April large numbers of common cuttlefish gather here to mate, and divers regularly find octopus, broomtail wrasse, ornate wrasse, trumpetfish ambushing the boulders, electric torpedo rays in the sand and the occasional eagle ray or angel shark. Visibility is consistent around 25 metres and current is normally negligible. The Canary Islands sit on the eastern edge of the Atlantic and benefit from the cool, nutrient-rich Canary Current that flows south along Africa, keeping water temperatures between 18 C in late winter and 23 C in late summer and supporting a mixed Atlantic and macaronesian fauna with confirmed Canarian endemics. The archipelago is the last reliable European stronghold of the angel shark Squatina squatina, classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, and dive operators contribute regular sightings to the Angel Shark Project monitoring programme. Local dive centres operate year round and most sites can be accessed with one short boat or shore transfer.