print dive site review | contribute site info / photo
Scuba Diving in Tenerife
Reader Reviews:
Dive Site: Condesito
Location: Los Christianos
Description: Wreck
Depth: 21 metres (69 feet)
Visibility: 35 metres (115 feet)
Rating: ****
This wreck was caught in a storm in 1972 due to engine problems and crashed into the rocks, no one died. A lighthouse was built three years later. Lots of life on the wreck including a red sea star, many silvery small fish and I think I maybe even saw a barracuda. After the wreck there are some rock formations to swim around and explore.
Carina Hall, PADI Divemaster
The other big feature of this site has got to be the large numbers of large trumpet fish, some of them well over a metre in length, which swim around at the stern of the wreck.
James H, PADI Advanced Open Water
Just got back from diving this site last week. The current was running strong but the site was great. Water temperature was 24 degrees (beginning of September), viz was 35 metres if not more and marine life was super; moray eels, hundreds of lizard fish, saw two rays (small ones). Watch out for urchins! A great dive.
Neil Howarth, PADI Divemaster
I have dived 17 times in Tenerife and the only bad thing is the vast amount of sea urchins. Otherwise it's all great.
Matt
Dived twice in Oct 2006. Day dive was like being in an aquarium! Lots of fish of all sizes and amazing viz. Later in the week I did a night dive here. Totally different feel with loads of sea cucumbers, night predators like octopus, and all the day fish 'holed-up' for the night in the wreckage. Site is easy to get to by RIB and is recommended for PADI AOW and above (it's a little deep for Open Water divers).
Brian Cheney, PADI AOW
Have dived the cement wreck in the past and much of the bow was locked into the nearby rectangular enclave of rocks in 5-8m. This meant a whole host of algae and weeds were growing across this section of the wreck, mostly amongst the cement bags. Here huge numbers of scorpionfish species abounded, many Madeira rockfish (endemic species of small scorpionfish). At the last time of me diving it, it was possible to penetrate the small wheelhouse with care. The stern of the ship dropped away into open water to around 17m depending on tide (a sort of Kingston, Canarian style!). The wreck was and probably still is a haven for marine life so described.
URCHINS
The "urchins problem" seems to be widespread in places across the Canary islands, but more so the more east (and touristic) you go, or that's the feedback I've been getting by people and myself from diving the eastern islands. The cause, humans! Overfishing means the natural predators of urchins are removed from the food chain thus allowing urchins to graze much more algae, resulting in a population explosion. The diadema or sprocket wheel black urchin populations continue to grow, literally razing fields of algae to the ground. It doesn't come back unless the urchins go, or their predators are reintroduced (hogfish). Luckily it has been recognised in places (like
Lanzarote) and some marine parks have been established to ban fishing completely. The Spanish name for this urchin condition is Blanquezales.
Tony Gilbert
Have dived this site three times. Did my wreck dive for AOW there. Lovely diving site, brilliant viz, interesting rock formations and plenty of trumpet fish and some barracuda. Seen a fireworm there for a first time.
Anna, AOW, London
I have dived this site twice and recommend it. I still remember on the first dive here a lonesome Barracuda, motionless, very large. This dive is great for anyone who is starting their AOW, deep and boat ticked off.
Richard, Divemaster | 15/01/2009
Do you have any comments on this dive site?
print dive site review | contribute site info / photo | top 
Do you run a dive operation in this area?
Click here to find out more about being listed on this
page in dive site directory.
|
