Ile de Riou
Marseille Calanques · France
The uninhabited island of Riou anchors the seaward edge of the Calanques National Park and is surrounded by varied dive terrain — shallow posidonia seagrass beds, a dramatic western wall dropping to 45 m, and a series of rocky pinnacles where large pelagics cruise. The sheer isolation of Riou keeps boat traffic minimal and wildlife relatively undisturbed, giving encounters with amberjack, scorpionfish, and octopus a quality rarely found this close to a major city.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 45 m
Advanced depths
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 35 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
13 to 26°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 23 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 14 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Posidonia seagrass
Last confirmed Jun 28, 2026 · 194 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Common octopus
Last confirmed Jul 5, 2026 · 341 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Scorpionfish
Last confirmed Jul 5, 2026 · 403 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Leopard Sea Slug
Last confirmed Jul 5, 2026 · 461 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Mediterranean Moray
Last confirmed Jul 8, 2026 · 412 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Black-Faced Blenny
Last confirmed Jul 4, 2026 · 418 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Mediterranean Red Sea Star
Last confirmed Jul 5, 2026 · 449 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
European sea bass
Last confirmed Jul 5, 2026 · 55 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Gear