La roche velaine

★★★★☆ (22)

The Roche Vélaine wreck is a dive site located in the Teychan channel, opposite Arcachon harbor, in the Arcachon basin (Gironde). This former steel steam trawler has been colonized by marine life and has become a popular artificial reef for local divers.

The vessel was built in Scotland in 1918 under the name William Hutchinson. It then changed ownership and name several times before being used for fishing in Arcachon.

Dive Activity

Dive Centers Catering This Dive Site

OCEANA VSM

14 quai du Capitaine Allègre, 33120 Arcachon, France

Dive Sites Nearby

Aqualung

Cap Nègre (★4.3)

Cap Nègre is an exceptional dive site located in the Cerbère-Banyuls marine reserve. Depths range from 5 to 30 meters. Divers can explore a variety of underwater landscapes, including rock formations, faults and small caves.
Aqualung

Sec à Joël (★4.3)

Sec à Joël is a site made up of two rocky peaks starting at a depth of minus 20 metres and reaching a depth of around 32 metres. This site is in the open sea and has no fixed anchorage.
Mares, Janez Kranjc

Les Chambres (★4.2)

This site offers a diversity of underwater features including drop-offs, caves and interesting rock formations. Depths generally range from 10 to 40 meters, making this site accessible to intermediate to advanced divers.
Mares, Janez Kranjc

Canadell (★4.1)

The external part starts on 12m at the foot of the mooring buoy, you can easily go down on 32m, very beautiful coral rich in lobsters and red coral.
ALOES PLONGEE, 66290 CERBERE

Anse de Terrimbo (★4.5)

Between 6 and 14m deep, the part towards the beach is made up of Posidonia meadows and large rocks between 6 and 10m deep, the northern part parallel to the cliff is made up of coralligenous 14m deep.
Mares

La Ramère (★4.3)

La Ramère, located near Cerbère in the Occitanie region, is a dive site offering depths from 0 to 30m. Very accessible, it is suitable for all levels of divers.
Mares

Cap Peyrefite (★4.2)

The Cap Peyrefite dive site, located near Cerbère, is at the heart of the Cerbère Banyuls marine reserve, ideal for diving with depths from 0 to 30m.
Mares

Les petites Tinyes (★4.0)

Les Petites Tinyes is a dive site appreciated for its varied underwater landscapes and rich biodiversity. Accessible to intermediate to advanced divers, this site offers depths ranging from 10 to 30 meters.
Aqualung

Sentier sous-marin (★4.4)

Starting from Peyrefite beach, you can explore the seabed to discover aquatic life in a sheltered, signposted area only a few metres deep.
Mares, Janez Kranjc

Caball Bernat (★4.2)

Site on the edge of a nature reserve, 10 m anchorage, canyons perpendicular to the coast, beautiful rock and coralligenous scenery, very little diving as there are no mooring buoys.
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Les Tinyes (★4.4)

The Tinyes, to the south, are three rock heads protruding from the water, forming a cove. You'll dive around them. Depths range up to 20m, and schools of sars and dorados are very common.
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Cap l’Abeille (★4.4)

Located south of Banyuls, Cap La Vieille owes its name to the shape of the rock, reminiscent of an old woman's head. The name was later changed to Cap l'Abeille. Thanks to its many buoys, you can dive several times on this site, following different routes.
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Les 3 moines (★4.4)

Located in the Banyuls-Cerbère marine reserve. Created in 1974 and managed by the Conseil Général des Pyrénées-Orientales, the Banyuls-Cerbère National Nature Reserve has halted the destruction of the coastline by tourism, pollution and fishing.
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Le Dôme (★4.4)

Spend some time on the Dome at the end of the dive to observe the Bécunes.
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Merouville (★4.3)

Numerous rocks and coral reefs between 16 and 30 metres below the surface, whether you're heading north or south, you won't be disappointed!
Aqualung

Le Troc (★4.4)

Le Troc, located in Banyuls-sur-Mer, is a dive site renowned for its varied underwater landscapes and rich biodiversity. Accessible to intermediate to advanced divers, this site offers depths ranging from 15 to 30 meters.
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Le jardin aux gorgones (★3.9)

At a maximum depth of 36 meters and a minimum depth of 26 meters, you'll discover numerous purple gorgonians. This site requires a minimum PE40 or Deep Diving level.
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Sec de valenti (★4.3)

Also known as La Llose, it lies just behind Cap Béar, off the coast of the Bay of Paulilles, where you can discover a varied landscape of boulders, faults, overhangs and caves. If you're looking for lobster hotels, this is the place!
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Les contrebandiers (★4.4)

Just a ten-minute sail from Argelès-sur-Mer, "Les grottes des contrebandiers" lie at the foot of the mythical Cap Béar lighthouse. This dive is accessible to all levels. The site's topography is made up of rocks and large coralligenous canyons.
SSI Service Center France, 38320 Eybens Cedex

Cap Béar (★4.1)

The Cap BEAR site is a sheltered site when there is a tramontana wind, 50 minutes from BARCARES, it allows you to discover the bottom of the VERMEILLE coast in strong winds, with a bottom made up of small drop-offs, faults and coralligenous patates ranging from 5 to 26 metres deep, ideal for walking.
Scubapro

L'étoile du nord (★4.4)

Sunk some 300 meters from the Saumur, the Étoile du Nord rests on a 38-meter seabed tilted to port. It's an easy-to-decipher wreck, which can be seen in its entirety in a single dive.
Scubapro, Stephen Frink

Pytheas, Port-Vendres (★4.3)

This site just outside Port-Vendres is very popular with N1 divers. It allows them to dive a wreck, an arch and rocky faults all in the same dive.
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Anse de la Mauresque (★3.8)

This site, north of Port-Vendres, is sheltered from the south wind and the Tramontane. Accessible to all levels, you'll find nudibranchs, white gorgonians and lobsters through the faults and coralligenous (18 to 20m).
ARCHIPEL PLONGÉE, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Épave Le Saumur (★4.2)

The atmosphere is ghostly, as the wreck lies on its keel off Port-Vendres in 45m of water. The stern, lying on its side, is separated from the rest of the ship. The emergency propeller is still clearly visible near the aft cargo mast on the port side.
Magellan, 66700 Argelès-sur-Mer

Cap Gros (★4.4)

Cap Gros offers a variety of dives. From two to thirty metres, passing through posidonia, rocks with drop-offs, to finish on the corralligenous...