Gran Canaria is a perfect island for diving enthusiasts, as it offers idyllic conditions for the practice of this sport. Its location within the Macaronesian region, but close to the African coast, its circular physical structure bathed by currents and winds from all sides and its volcanic origin make it a place where you can dive almost every day of the year, with ideal temperatures and visibility, and if that were not enough, enjoy contemplating its great wealth of species in ecosystems of great value, biodiversity, and for the moment, good state of conservation.
History of diving on Gran Canaria Island
Unfortunately, there are few or almost no records about the beginnings of diving in Gran Canaria, but we know many of the island's diving veterans personally, and first-hand all the history that they have lived and that they continue to transmit to us today, which is a valuable historical resource and a luxury for the ears.
In addition, over the years we have created an incredible network of contacts that allows us to have a certain perspective of how the practice of diving has evolved in various areas and how it is experienced by different types of divers. With the minimum rigor that allows us not to have exact data, we have tried to gather some information as a summary of how the practice of diving has changed over time in Gran Canaria and who the main protagonists were.
Evolution of diving in Gran Canaria
To understand why diving has become so popular in Gran Canaria, we have to talk about why diving on our island has welcomed so many different types of diving and divers.
It is worth noting that the first divers on the island were not exactly recreational divers, even though it is now a key and incredible destination for this sport. At the beginning, diving in Gran Canaria was represented by professional divers, the navy diving group and the GEAS (Special Group for Underwater Activities), all of them carrying out a task as discreet as it is arduous and essential.
The Canary Islands Diving Unit of the Navy has been entrusted by Ministerial Order (OM 115/2000 of April 14) with the following missions:
- Act in the protection and defence of warships, docks and facilities, against sabotage or insidious actions that may be carried out under the waters of the ports and maritime spaces of the Canary Islands archipelago.
- Act in the same mission when it concerns national or foreign merchant vessels, in the circumstances that the Admiral Commander of the Canary Islands Naval Command deems necessary.
- Locate, recognize, neutralize or deactivate explosive devices underwater, on beaches and coasts.
- Cooperate with the Mine Countermeasures Units in the special missions assigned to them.
- Act in underwater repair work and ship salvage.
- In addition to these missions, it has other tasks such as locating and recovering underwater material or recognizing the hull of ships. It can also participate in tasks related to the protection of underwater heritage.
To carry out these missions, the ship has 18 highly qualified personnel. These include diving technologists, combat divers, mine-hunting divers, explosive ordnance disposal experts, rescue swimmers and a nurse specialising in diving accidents.
The creation of the Underwater Activities Unit dates back to 1981. In 1997, the Unit was integrated into the Maritime Service with the specific task of providing specialized support to the Underwater Activities Specialist Groups (GEAS) or units of the Civil Guard that may require it.
Its general mission is to carry out the functions corresponding to the Civil Guard related to the aquatic and underwater environment, whether or not they require the use of autonomous breathing equipment.
Its main functions are:
- Search, location and recovery of people and objects in aquatic and underwater environments.
- Recognition, security and protection of personalities, facilities, vessels, works or objects.
- Surveillance, prevention and protection of submerged cultural, historical and natural heritage.
- Carrying out reconnaissance and security tasks in competitions or recreational activities in the aquatic or underwater environment.
- Carrying out the functions of the Judicial Police in its specific environment.
- Support to other Corps Units in the technical and operational aspects related to the activities of the Specialty or the specific means used for their development.
- Search and location of explosive devices.
- Practice of underwater demolitions in certain circumstances.
- Recognition and exploration of seabeds or underwater areas using remote means.
- Ensure compliance with current regulations and provisions related to the performance of underwater activities.
- Collaboration with similar teams, military or civilian.
In the beginning, there were few people who practiced diving on the island for recreational purposes, only a few locals who wanted or could afford the luxury of investing in diving equipment that was then proportionally more inaccessible.
Little by little, the diving industry spread throughout the world, as did the virtues of this small island in the middle of the Atlantic, which attracted more and more divers and little by little a small subsector within recreational divers: underwater photographers and videographers.
So much so that today we can proudly say that from this and the neighbouring island, Tenerife, have come such incredible and renowned photographers as Rafa Herrero, Sergio Hanket, Francis Pérez, Felipe Ravina…
Today, Gran Canaria is a mother island to countless great underwater photographers (although not all of them are recognised at the moment) whose activity and high competitive level is evident when they meet to demonstrate their skills and compete in the numerous underwater photography competitions held in Gran Canaria.
Due to proximity and involvement, we would like to highlight those carried out in Sardina del Norte, for more than 20 years now, initially organized by the Association la Gorgonia (Open Futosub Sardina) and currently by the Most Excellent City Council of Gáldar under the direction of Pedro Almeida (Fotosub de Sardina).
The wonders of diving in Gran Canaria became increasingly known, which became a major tourist attraction, attracting divers from all over the world as well as locals, making recreational diving grow exponentially on the island.
In parallel, another type of diver appeared whose interest in this practice represented a great advantage essential for the protection of the marine environment: scientific divers, responsible for carrying out sampling and essential research to be able to study and disseminate information about the great value of the marine ecosystems of Gran Canaria, and to raise awareness of the problems and threats they suffer due to human influence and the increasing exploitation of marine resources.
Among the groups that use scientific diving as a work tool, we would like to highlight the great work carried out by the following institutions:
- Public entity (administration): Redpromar
- Research groups from ULL, ULPGC and IEO/CSIC universities
- Non-governmental entities and civil associations: Innoceana, Maresia Institute, Condrik, Angel Shark Project, ADS biodiversity
- Private entities: Aquawork, CIMA Canarias, Ellitoral, etc.
Currently, Gran Canaria has positioned itself as a top diving destination for all types of divers due to the variety and quality of its dives.
Underwater geology in Gran Canaria: a paradise for diving
Gran Canaria is one of the 7 islands of the group that form the Canary Islands, an archipelago of volcanic islands 450 km long and oriented east-west, located in the North Atlantic Ocean, 100-500 km from the northwest coast of Africa. 4 of the islands are located on the African tectonic plate.
The Canary Islands and some seamounts in the northeast form the Canary volcanic province, whose volcanic history began about 70 million years ago and which remains volcanically active today. The last volcanic eruption on land occurred in 2021 and the last submarine eruption was in 2011.
The seven main Canary Islands originated as separate submarine volcanoes on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, which lies at a depth of between 1000 and 4000 m in the Canary Islands region.
The underwater geology of Gran Canaria is therefore dominated by volcanic rock, which provides a brutal richness of landscape for diving under its waters with almost lunar-like settings, canyons, caves, arches, tubes and lava formations that create whimsical basalt structures, which could easily be mistaken for the remains of cities of ancient civilizations.
The subtropical climate of the island of Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria's subtropical climate is characterised by mild and pleasant temperatures throughout the year, with cool winters and warm but not extreme summers. The islands enjoy an annual average of 20 to 25°C, with plenty of sunshine. Rainfall is infrequent and concentrated in the winter months, while sea breezes cool the coast. Inland, especially in mountainous areas, the climate can be cooler and more variable.
The water in Gran Canaria is crystal clear, with visibility that can exceed 30 metres in some places, making it a paradise for diving. The water temperature ranges from 18°C in winter to 23°C in summer, allowing for comfortable diving all year round without the need for overly heavy equipment. In addition, the abundance of marine life, from schools of fish to larger species such as rays and turtles, and the diversity of underwater beds, ranging from reefs to volcanic formations, offer a unique experience. These conditions make Gran Canaria a very popular diving destination, both for beginners and experienced divers.
When to dive in Gran Canaria?
In Gran Canaria you can dive today, tomorrow and the day after too! Unless there is a storm or general alert due to coastal phenomena affecting the whole island (which happens very rarely during the year) you will always find a place where you can dive, because if you can't dive on one side of the island, in less than an hour we can find an alternative location on the other, due to its almost circular shape.
The advantages of diving on the island of Gran Canaria
Diving in Gran Canaria never disappoints because:
- There are a wide variety of types of diving: shore diving, wrecks, caves, lava formations...
- Numerous diving spots for all levels.
- Possibilities for a great diversity of species (seahorses, rays, large schools), many of them listed as critically endangered such as the angel shark, as well as unique and very special ecosystems such as the drying grounds or Maërl beds composed of Rhodoliths.
- Ideal environmental conditions all year round: stable temperature, great visibility…
What makes diving in Gran Canaria unique compared to the rest of Spain?
Diving at the level of international destinations, saving the high cost of those trips, in a biodiversity refuge with friendly conditions and at a very affordable price.
Where to dive on the island of Gran Canaria?
Diving areas and spots in Gran Canaria
Gran Canaria has 236 km of coastline, but there are few stretches that meet all the access and safety conditions that guarantee safe diving, since the rest are virgin areas, with strong currents or passage of boats that compromise the viability of safe diving.
In our opinion, the prize goes to Sardina del Norte, classified as a Special Conservation Area, which can give you an idea of the wonderful biodiversity and ecosystem richness that you will find in its waters, to which is added the great comfort and safety of access to the diving area since the conditions are excellent most days.
In the North you will find another of the jewels in the crown, but this time in the raw. Caleta de Arriba, a brutal dive in a practically wild ecosystem but which we only recommend on the few days of the year when the north is completely calm, as it is an exposed area, of medium-difficult difficulty and which you have to know very well to be able to enjoy safely. It is a beautiful dive but our advice is not to venture without knowledge or a certified guide as it has its peculiarities.
Other areas with possible access from land are:
El Cabrón, a dive with great scenic richness, with deep areas and very interesting lava formations, where you will also find great biodiversity. We recommend it after Sardina due to its difficult access and frequently harsher conditions, especially at the entrance.
Tufia and Taliarte, interesting alternatives for when you can't dive in Sardina or El Cabrón.
The rest of the shore diving areas, far from having any intention of belittling their beauty, we consider them less interesting for diving, but they represent a very useful alternative for training courses when there are no optimal conditions in the rest of the island.
Apart from these diving spots, there are numerous diving spots that are only accessible by boat. You can consult the complete list at this link:
List of dives on Gran Canaria Island
International diving school in Gran Canaria
To end this humble article, we would like to take this opportunity to remind you that whatever type of diver you are (professional, recreational, scientific, photographer, lover of wrecks, of the deep, of large or small marine life, of calm or more aggressive dives...) or you intend to become a diver, in Gran Canaria you will find a unique and unrivalled destination for diving and that in our centre, Buceo Norte you will find a training centre listed as SSI Diamond Training Center, where you can train from scratch to professional level or enjoy interpreted dives throughout the year.
There is only one requirement to dive with us: That you practice and share our diving philosophy, Conscious Diving.
If you want to find out what it consists of you can see this post or find a guide on all the dives that we will be happy to accompany you on, enter divingnorte.com and discover everything that awaits you.
English 
Español 