El Puertito (Turtle Bay)

Overview: The Natural Turtle Bay of Costa Adeje

Located on the sunny south-west coast of Tenerife, El Puertito (Turtle Bay) is a sheltered volcanic cove famous across Europe for its resident population of friendly green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and shallow, tranquil dive conditions.

With a maximum depth of only 10m to 12m, crystal-clear visibility, and direct beach or boat entry, it is one of the premier beginner dive and discover scuba locations in the Canary Islands.

Detailed Dive Route & Topography

• Entry: Step into the water from the small sandy beach or drop from a dive zodiac in 6m of water.
• The Sandy Center & Seagrass (6m–10m): Swim across the central sandy basin. Large green turtles frequently swim directly alongside divers, grazing on seagrass and algae on the volcanic boulders.
• The Volcanic Reef Ledges (10m–12m): Explore the rocky volcanic reefs framing the bay. Scan crevices for canary moray eels (Gymnothorax bacalladoi), cuttlefish, and red-lipped blennies.
• Winter Angel Sharks: Between November and March, critically endangered angel sharks (Squatina squatina) camouflage themselves in the sandy bottom of the bay to mate and breed.

Conservation & Diver Code of Conduct

• No Touching or Feeding: El Puertito is heavily monitored by local environmental authorities. Divers must maintain a minimum 2m distance from turtles and never attempt to ride or touch them.
• Certification Level: Open Water (18m) / Discover Scuba Diving.

Technical Dive Profile & Navigation

1. Entry & Descent Mechanics

• Descent Method: Careful shore walk-in over reef platform or steps, kicking out to the descent buoy before dropping to prevent surface drift.
• Ear Equalization: Equalize continuously every 1 metre during the descent phase to prevent sinus or middle-ear barotrauma.
• Compass Heading & Navigation: Set a primary heading toward the main reef structure. Maintain buddy contact within 2 metres throughout the descent.

2. Deep Section & Gas Management (12m to 12m)

• NDL Discipline: At depths of 12m, your No-Decompression Limit ticks down rapidly. Monitor your dive computer continuously.
• The Craig Rule: Divers certified to Open Water level (18m maximum) must stay on the upper reef shelf and never follow advanced divers down past 18m.
• Turnaround Gas: Signal your buddy and start your ascent when the first diver reaches 110 bar (or one-third of usable cylinder capacity).

3. Ascent & 5m Safety Stop

• Ascent Rate: Ascend along the reef wall at a controlled rate not exceeding 9 metres per minute.
• Mandatory Safety Stop: Complete a strict 3-to-5-minute safety stop at 5 metres (15 feet) before deploying an SMB and surfacing with a 360-degree overhead scan.

Marine Life & Habitat Zones (Biologically Verified)

• Apex & Pelagic Predators: Atlantic Bonito (Sarda sarda), Greater Amberjack, Striped Barracuda.
• Reef Fish & Keystone Species: Canarian Dusky Grouper, Island Grouper (Mycteroperca fusca), Parrotfish / Vieja (Sparisoma cretense).
• Macro Biodiversity & Benthic Invertebrates: Tiger Morays (Enchelycore anatina), Brown Morays, Red-Rock Cleaner Shrimp (Lysmata grabhami).
• Elasmobranchs & Marine Reptiles: Resident Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia mydas), Angel Sharks (Squatina squatina), Roughtail Stingrays (Bathytoshia centroura), Bull Rays (Pteromylaeus bovinus).