Puerto de Mogan, Canary Islands, Spain

Veril Grande (Mogan)

Veril Grande lies offshore from Puerto de Mogan on the southwest coast of Gran Canaria and is the signature dive of the Mogan area. The site is a long volcanic reef edge falling away from 8 metres on the inshore boulders to a wall that drops past 35 metres into the blue. Because the rocky line lies at the edge of the abyssal drop characteristic of the western Canaries, currents accelerate along the wall and concentrate fish life. Common encounters include large schools of bastard grunt and salema, barracuda, amberjack hunting in the blue, common eagle rays cruising the sand at the base of the wall, several dusky groupers and the occasional angel shark resting in winter. The wall itself is decorated with yellow encrusting anemone, golden cup coral and small black coral colonies on deeper overhangs. With moderate depth, visibility above 25 metres and currents that range from weak to moderate, Veril Grande is a classic intermediate dive.