Diving from boat – intermediate level.Arenita is without hesitation one of the best dive site in the South of Tenerife. It is located between Punta Rasca’s lighthouse and El Palm Mar.
The anchor is thrown at 25m of depth. This time, the descent is slow, the current is moderate. Once we get to the bottom, the anchor is sent back to the surface with a parachute filled with air. It is a drift dive, the boat will be looking for us at the safety stops. As this picture shows, we leave this rocky python on the left hand side and we find an abrupt cliff which falls down to 50 metres.
A small grouper quickly swims away below us, and a school of African striped grunts (Parapristipoma octolineatum) regroups. At first intrigued by our presence, they go away quietly towards the bottom after a quick check.
This time, we do not dive deeper than 30 metres because a particular fish draws our attention: a purgeon fish (Chilomycterus atringa) moves slowly along the drop off, and inspects us with its globulous eyes when we get closer. We follow it gently and it takes us straight towards a school of barracudas (Sphyraena viridensis) motionless and inquisitive.
The drop off is covered with black coral, a spectacular landscape, but it requires the use of a torchlight to fully enjoy it. A black moray eel moves from cracks to cracks, and swims right behind this arrow crab (Stenorhynchus lanceolatus). It aims at us one of its sharp legs in a warning way, when we get closer to it.
But it is time to start our ascent. We go back to the shore by following the bottom. Along the way, at about twenty metres deep, we find vast areas of Rodolith. They are conglomerates of various limestone seaweeds (as the Lithothamnion corallioides or the Phymatolithon calcareum). In the shape of "coral ball" they are spread by the water movements on sandy surfaces.
We follow a canyon welcoming branches of black coral and invaded by trumpet fish, until we arrive at the safety stops, in the shallows.
We will surface with a big smile on our lips, a bench of about fifty Amberjack just offers us an unexpected show while swimming between us. A beautiful dive.
The anchor is thrown at 25m of depth. This time, the descent is slow, the current is moderate. Once we get to the bottom, the anchor is sent back to the surface with a parachute filled with air. It is a drift dive, the boat will be looking for us at the safety stops. As this picture shows, we leave this rocky python on the left hand side and we find an abrupt cliff which falls down to 50 metres.A small grouper quickly swims away below us, and a school of African striped grunts (Parapristipoma octolineatum) regroups. At first intrigued by our presence, they go away quietly towards the bottom after a quick check.
This time, we do not dive deeper than 30 metres because a particular fish draws our attention: a purgeon fish (Chilomycterus atringa) moves slowly along the drop off, and inspects us with its globulous eyes when we get closer. We follow it gently and it takes us straight towards a school of barracudas (Sphyraena viridensis) motionless and inquisitive.
The drop off is covered with black coral, a spectacular landscape, but it requires the use of a torchlight to fully enjoy it. A black moray eel moves from cracks to cracks, and swims right behind this arrow crab (Stenorhynchus lanceolatus). It aims at us one of its sharp legs in a warning way, when we get closer to it.
But it is time to start our ascent. We go back to the shore by following the bottom. Along the way, at about twenty metres deep, we find vast areas of Rodolith. They are conglomerates of various limestone seaweeds (as the Lithothamnion corallioides or the Phymatolithon calcareum). In the shape of "coral ball" they are spread by the water movements on sandy surfaces.We follow a canyon welcoming branches of black coral and invaded by trumpet fish, until we arrive at the safety stops, in the shallows.
We will surface with a big smile on our lips, a bench of about fifty Amberjack just offers us an unexpected show while swimming between us. A beautiful dive.
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