AccommodationThe reef of Playa Chica hides many corners worth visiting.
The Cueva de las Gambas is one of them. At the foot of the reef, around 40 meters deep, a cave shelters swarms of narwhal shrimp, more commonly known as shrimp.
The groupers lurk around the shrimp hidden in the darkness and do not hesitate to pounce on them when they become visible by the light of our torches.
The uniqueness and richness of the caves in the reef of Puerto del Carmen is so great that it has been declared by Europe as a Special Conservation Area within the Natura 2000 Network.
The dive begins at the stairs of Playa Chica or, if we access by boat, at the mooring buoy. From here, we dive down to the foot of the reef, passing through the garden eel field and descending along the imposing wall.
Below 25–30 meters, white snipefish give way to three-tailed snipefish, and the flamboyant cuttlefish start to appear, which are spectacular sea slugs due to their shape and intense violet color. Upon reaching the cave, we must enter carefully and approach one of the cavities where the narwhal shrimp take shelter.
In a few minutes, decompression will be necessary, and we will need to begin our ascent, knowing that the shallow area provides the ideal environment to make the safety stop.
