Costa Blanca
The Costa Blanca (which means “White Coast” in Spanish) stretches 200km along the coastline of t
Explore Alicante
Found on Spain’s Costa Blanca, Alicante is the second largest city in the Valencian Community. It is a popular holiday destination for people from around the world, especially northern Europeans, who flock here during the long, hot summer months.
There are plenty of dive centres and dive resorts in Alicante to choose from, most of which offer the full breadth of diving courses, from beginner right up to professional levels. Most of these dive centres are scattered up and down the coastline surrounding Alicante, from Torrevieja in the south to Moraira to the North, with few found in the city centre itself. There are currently no liveaboards around Alicante as many dive sites are close to shore, but several operate in the nearby Balearic Islands.
Some of the highlights of diving here include the visibility, so famed in the region of being 25m+ during the summer time. The craggy cliffs riddled with caves and tunnels create a fascinating new experience for many divers, both experienced and novice.
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Diving in Alicante
Alicante has a range of diving opportunities on offer. Though some shore diving is available, boat diving is far more common to reach far flung dive sites. The shore diving usually enters off sandy beaches and explores the surrounding bay and base of the cliffs.
One of the major draws to this region is the cave diving available. The limestone rock formations have formed a dense network of passages, caverns and grottos over millennia that honeycomb through the cliffs like swiss cheese. Though many may wish to give these challenging dives a wide berth, several dive companies offer specialty training in order to penetrate these caves, which can pass many metres into the rock and some of which have air filled chambers and dramatic stalactite formations.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Alicante
There is a long held misconception that Mediterranean diving doesn’t have much to see in the way of marine life. Though the fish may not be as numerous or colourful as their tropical relatives, there is still plenty to see! The large rocks, with their cracks and crevices, that litter most dive sites are covered in sponges, corals and anemones. These make ideal homes for macro life such as tiny crustaceans and shrimp as well as colourful nudibranch. Perfect for photographers.
Larger inhabitants of the reef include fish such as wrasse, doradas, damselfish, bream, bass, grouper, scorpionfish and more. In addition, starfish, moray eels, cuttlefish, octopus and big lobster lurk inside the holes that pock the surface of the limestone cliffs. Meanwhile in the blue, mackerel, sardines and big barracuda can be seen in large schools. Though rare, dolphins and whales have been known to accompany dive boats in deeper water - however, they are rarely seen below the surface. Turtles and mola mola are uncommon but are occasional treats for scuba divers in the warmer summer months.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
3.5k Sightings
J
28
F
26
M
42
A
122
M
197
J
345
J
790
A
988
S
496
O
278
N
112
D
91
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
2.9k Sightings
J
8
F
12
M
12
A
53
M
96
J
237
J
639
A
866
S
496
O
290
N
104
D
37
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
1.5k Sightings
J
8
F
1
M
4
A
26
M
47
J
146
J
307
A
390
S
248
O
171
N
68
D
35
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 250
Shutterstock-Henry_and_Laura_Whittaker
Grouper/Basslets
2.7k Sightings
J
10
F
6
M
17
A
49
M
87
J
250
J
505
A
913
S
467
O
280
N
82
D
21
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 3000
SSI-Peter-Schinck
Nudibranch
454 Sightings
J
0
F
1
M
7
A
30
M
51
J
73
J
103
A
116
S
32
O
4
N
11
D
26
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 350
Alamy-Andre Seal
Damselfish
433 Sightings
J
1
F
2
M
0
A
3
M
13
J
53
J
107
A
107
S
59
O
61
N
26
D
1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 250
iStock-Miguel-Angelo-Silva.
Scorpionfish
429 Sightings
J
0
F
2
M
1
A
6
M
27
J
26
J
106
A
98
S
75
O
60
N
26
D
2
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 80
iStock/Extreme-Photographer
Stingrays
404 Sightings
J
6
F
3
M
1
A
8
M
22
J
46
J
125
A
137
S
36
O
9
N
9
D
2
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 190
Alamy-Water Frame
Conger Eel
343 Sightings
J
5
F
7
M
5
A
18
M
12
J
17
J
106
A
95
S
45
O
16
N
11
D
6
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 120
SSI-Peter-Schinck
Cuttlefish
271 Sightings
J
0
F
3
M
2
A
9
M
25
J
38
J
67
A
72
S
18
O
20
N
17
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 90
Shutterstock-Levent Konuk
Goatfish
224 Sightings
J
1
F
1
M
0
A
5
M
8
J
17
J
67
A
52
S
29
O
31
N
10
D
3
The best Months to Dive in Alicante
Alicante diving is possible year round. The consistently warm Mediterranean climate means that tourists are drawn here all year round. The summer months, from May to August, have the warmest weather. The days are long and balmy, with average temperatures well above 20°C. Water temperatures peak at around 26°C. This is by far the busiest time of year and also the driest, months can pass with little or no rainfall and seemingly endless sunshine.
The winter months between November and March average at 15°C in both air and water temperatures, meaning that whilst diving is possible, it will require a thicker wetsuit to be comfortable. This is considered the low season and, whilst the quiet atmosphere may be welcome, some dive shops cease trading during these months so be sure to check before you book!
