Almería
Spain · Mediterranean
Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park shelters the best-preserved marine reserve in the western Mediterranean, where the arid volcanic coastline of southeast Spain plunges into crystalline water that hosts seagrass prairies, pelagic aggregations, and a seahorse population dense enough to earn El Ancón the informal title of seahorse capital of the Mediterranean. The park's near-total absence of river runoff delivers visibility regularly exceeding 20 metres.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is busy.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
18 species across the dive sites here
Dusky Grouper
Seen 23 days ago
at Arrecife de las Sirenas
Snakelocks Anemone
Seen 24 days ago
at Isleta del Moro
Great Barracuda
Seen 24 days ago
at La Polacra
Least concern
Neptune Seagrass
Seen 1 month ago
at Arrecife de las Sirenas
Least concern
Thekla'S Lark
Seen 1 month ago
at Arrecife de las Sirenas
Least concern
White Sea Bream
Seen 1 month ago
at Arrecife de las Sirenas
Least concern
Theba subdentata
Seen 1 month ago
at El Ancón
Greater Flamingo
Seen 2 months ago
at El Ancón
Least concern
Spiny-Footed Lizard
Seen 2 months ago
at Arrecife de las Sirenas
Least concern
Striped Venus
Seen 6 months ago
at La Polacra
Common Octopus
Seen 9 months ago
at Arrecife de las Sirenas
Least concern
Greater Amberjack
Seen 9 months ago
at La Polacra
Least concern
Greater Pipefish
Seen Aug 2024
at El Ancón
Least concern
Flabellinid Nudibranch
Seen Jul 2024
at El Ancón
European Conger
Seen year round
at Isleta del Moro
Least concern
Long-snouted Seahorse
Seen year round
at El Ancón
Near threatened
Yellow Gorgonian
Seen year round
at La Polacra
Common Eagle Ray
Seasonal visitor
at Isleta del Moro
Critically endangered
Dive sites
Arrecife de las Sirenas
common octopus · dusky grouper · neptune seagrass · thekla's lark
El Ancón
long-snouted seahorse · greater pipefish · flabellinid nudibranch · greater flamingo
La Polacra
great barracuda · greater amberjack · yellow gorgonian · thekla's lark
Isleta del Moro
common eagle ray · snakelocks anemone · european conger · greater flamingo