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Scuba Diving in Lanzarote
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Dive Site: Mala
Location: North side of Lanzarote
Description: Reef
Depth: 20 metres + (65 feet)
Visibility: 15 - 20 metres (50 - 65 feet)
Rating: ***
Mala is a nudist colony located on the north side of the island about a 45 minute drive from Calypso Divers dive centre. The entry can be tricky as you'll need to walk down a fairly steep cliff in your dive gear to reach the rocky waters edge. There is a pathway and steps down the cliff front and once you reach the waters edge there is a metal ladder into the water. This is an exposed side of the island so if the weather is rough entry and exit can be difficult as the waves sweep over the slippery rocks as you are trying to don fins. This was certainly a unique trek to the entry point for me. Nude sunbathers were dotted in small sandy alcoves along the cliff front as we descended to the water. One of the funniest things I've seen for a long time was the look of embarrassment on my buddies face as a nude tourist held her fins and helped her don them in the rough conditions before she joined me on the surface. If I hadn't been so busy laughing I might have remembered I had my camera and could have clicked off a couple of shots of them kitting up. Once in the water you descend to around 6 metres and there is still quite a swell until you reach 10 metres. As you head around the point the sandy seabed drops to over 20 metres and there are moray eels in the rocky outcrops. On the seabed sand rays are numerous as are the common sea urchins. Once back at the exit point if there is a surface swell, timing is crucial to grab and quickly ascend the ladder between sets of waves. This is where the nudists swim so look out for mermaids and mermen!!!
Rik Vercoe, BSAC Advanced Instructor
There are two dives to be had at Mala, the deeper one to the north (course 60), and a shallower second dive to the south.
North Dive
The northerly dive takes you over a lava boulder field in 15m and to a ridge pointing roughly east. To the right of the ridge in 15-20m is a fantastic sight of a horizontal bright white sand plateau, it's called the "football pitch".
Following the ridge down at 33m is a small enclave of rock containing hundreds of shrimps. The visibility into the blue here can be fantastic and up to 50m or more!
Monitor all gauges and especially depth, return via the football pitch and look out for angel sharks, guitar and big ray varieties.
Off gassing is done at the 5m deep "lagoon" entry/exit point, where shoals of several hundred barracuda can be found. To the immediate right (north) of the lagoon is a scooped out rock formation with large pebbles on the bottom. If water movement permits there is a swim through at 4-5m deep of 10m length, but you must come back to exit normally.
Advanced North Dive
For the more advanced there is a slight variation on the northerly dive where the dive goes north at the ridge start following the line edge of the lava flows. This is a series of open caverns, its best to just the do the next two which occur at 30-40m by "jumping" the ridges. Here, tiger morays can be found, and the scenery awesome dropping to depths far below.
Return is straight up the lava flows to around 12-15m, and south back to the lagoon. It can be confusing as to which rock exit it is so plan extra time in.
South Dive
The southerly dive is better performed shallow with a max depth of 20m, most of the dive is at 12-15m. From the surface looking SE is a half tide rock which is part of the dive.
Entering the lagoon go SE and pick up another ridge of rock, a nick occurs around 8-10m, go over the ridge and continue over the boulder field and deeper. Look out for black blennies, octopus, scorpionfish, nudibranchs, and in the sand patches dotted around lookout for large spinded scorpionfish and small rays. To the right are rock enclaves which can contain morays including tigers.
Turn gently right and up to 12m, starting back pick up a ridge parallel to shore some of which contains olive green sea grasses wafting away. Notice the colonisation of black diadema (urchins), its locally called blanquazales. This ridge connects to the half-tide rock, and it is here a swim through occurs about 10m long in 12m depth. It is the remains of an ancient lava tube. Swim through into a cavern opening, watch out for rays and urchins on the bottom. The sand is easily stirred but looking out of the entrance is
wondrous. In this cavern to the left is a hole where a large moray and cleaner shrimps reside. The return is north to the lagoon.
Tony Gilbert
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