Spiny lobsters, Europena lobsters and slipper losbters
The shaded areas are those located at a depth of more than 25 metres, where the subdued sunlight reaches, and also in shallower waters in the shadows between walls and rocky bottoms, as well as in caves and tunnels.
With an absence of light, algae and the posidonia disappear and the seabed is covered with filtering organisms, often with vivid colours which we won’t discover until we illuminate them with our torch, and on the seabed, there are many other camouflaged animals to either protect themselves or keep on the watch for their predators.
This environment is the habitat of large crustaceans such as spiny lobsters, European lobsters and slipper lobsters, which we will find hidden in holes, caves, overhangs and in the darker nooks and crannies.
Our recommended dive: Cala Viuda - Costa del Montgrí
Cala Viuda offers one of the best dives on the Montgrí coast, especially for lovers of cave diving.
The caves at Cala Viuda are made up of a series of caves and tunnels that begin in this cove and extend towards the south. In more than one of these formations we will find air chambers with calcareous formations on the ceilings, there are interconnecting caves and tunnels and there are those that enter into the Montgrí massif and others that run in parallel to the coast.
It is generally an easy dive as there are no ramifications or very narrow passages inside the caves and tunnels; however, as it is a cave and it has a moderate depth, diving in the caves of Cala Viuda is reserved for advanced divers or experts who know the area well or who are accompanied by expert guides.
The route for this dive begins on the south side of Cala Viuda and follows and enters a series of caves that are sometimes interconnected with each other through tunnels. Your guide will take you through the whole system of caves, so you don’t miss any of the nooks and crannies that characterise this dive.
As it is a cave dive it will be easy to find spiny lobsters, European lobsters and slipper lobsters that are hiding in wait for nightfall to go out to search for food.
We’ll see the European lobsters, which are very scarce in the lowest parts, where the rock meets the sand, the spiny lobsters usually live on walls and inverted overhangs whereas the slipper lobsters prefer cracks in the ceilings and inlets to the rock.
In these caves we will find corals and organisms without any feet or heads and in the outer zones there’ll be fish of a thousand colours and predators.
In cave dives, it is necessary to really watch our buoyancy equipment and not enter any spots which are too narrow where it could touch the ceiling or the walls.