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Dives start at about 20 metres and continue to a maximum of 40 metres. Due to the fact that here no commercial fishing is carried out groupers over 1 metre in length and other large specimens of sea life can be seen. The visibility is around
20 m.
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| In general the reef is rocky and has beautiful canons, valleys, walls and overhanging rocks. The nicest flora and fauna from both the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean can be found here. Huge schools of fish accompany the divers, making dives at Placer de las Bovedas unforgettable. Dives can only be carried out here when the weather is good and the sea is calm. Due to the depth of the dives (20 - 40 metres) only advanced divers will be taken to this site. Usually 2-tank dives will be carried out, which means 2 followed dives with a surface interval in between. As the dive sites in Las Bovedas are situated in the open sea, very close to the Strait of Gibraltar and the Atlantic Ocean, tidal currents can exist. Demanding current- , drift- and deep dives are guaranteed. Due to the expansion of the reef a good deal of dive sites are yet to be discovered. |
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The Plateau
The Plateau is the shallowest spot in Las Bovedas, in other words the roof of the reef which is about 20 m deep.
Las Bovedas is reached by a boat ride of about 15 minutes. During the week there are only a few fishing boats and a small number of yachts containing sunbathers present at this site. However, regularly we can also be alone at the plateau. Despite being 6km from the coastline the shore may still be viewed. After the boat is moored, the skipper has given the dive briefing and everyone knows who his dive buddy is, we put on the gear. We drop in the water with a backwards roll, swim to the anchor line, waiting for our dive buddies and then drop down into the deep blue.
Slowly we approach the seabed which we can make out from the surface. Large rock boulders and lots of schooling fish await us. After we have regrouped and have exchanged the o.k. signal we begin the dive. We pass canons, small rocky streets and sometimes cross sand patches. Rich marine life surrounds us. Looking under the rocks there are conger eels, sometimes moray eels, and if you are lucky you can also find one of the big groupers.
Ooops, 25 minutes has gone by and it is time to go up again! Slowly we approach the surface which gets brighter and brighter. After the obligatory safety stop and a total dive time of about 30 minutes we are at the surface again and …… there is the dive boat waiting for us. Once all divers are back on board we ride back to the dive center – full of new impressions. |
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Southern reef
The “Southern reef” is one of the furthest southerly spots at Las Bovedas where diving within the recreational dive limit is possible. The dive starts at approx. 35 m and brings us back up to about 20 metres.
We glide down the anchor rope and reach the bottom at 35 metres deep. There on the side of Las Bovedas facing Morocco an interesting seabed compiled from old coral pieces is waiting for us. We move slowly uphill and can soon see the first of the big rock boulders. Some of them easily reach 10 metres in height. Here the seabed is composed of huge freight container sized rocks all piled up on top of each other. It looks as though giant hands have put them there. The “no-decompression watch” ticks and we have to go to shallower waters quickly. At around 25 metres the giant rock formations change into smaller rocks. During the whole dive we are accompanied by schools of fish. It is a pity the dive is over already.
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