Marine Life in the El Cabrón Marine Reserve

With over 400 marine species in the reserve, it is impossible here to display all of them. We have selected a few of the most impressive species from the reserve to give you a flavour of the sights you can enjoy when diving with us.

For a more comprehensive site showing photos of a huge selection of the marine life in Gran Canaria look at either our Photo Gallery from the menu on the left, or Gran Canaria Diving .Com

 The Angelshark (squatina squatina)is usually singular, and are more commonly found in spring and early summer, when they often wait by day covered in a thin layer of sand. They are not agressive if they are not disturbed and will generally avoid contact with divers. They prefer the sand to the rocky outcrops and can grow up to 1.5m long.

The Canarian Lobsterette (Enoplometopus antillensis) is found at night or in dark receses and caves during the day, this brightly coloured species is immediately distinguished by the white rings on its side.

 The Glass-Eye or Catalufa (Heteropriacanthus cruentatus) is one of the most striking fish in the marine reserve. Usually found at depths of 20m or so, where the shorter wavelengths of light have been absorbed, shining a torch, or using a flash gun is necessary to bring out the red colours of this nocturnal species.

The Trumpet Fish (Aulostomus stirgosus) is a dramatic looking species, with a face like a horse, and a tail like a pair of frilly knickers. You may wonder at first which way is front and back! Found in deeper water from 10m downwards it's passive character and dramatic looks make it a regular favourite.

Seahorses are shy, secretive and well camouflaged. These tiny yet beautiful creatures blend themselves into the background and can be very difficult to locate. We know of at least two locations where they have been seen within the reserve.

The Marbled Electric Ray (Torpedo marmorata) can be found almost anywhere in the reserve, but are often easily overlooked because of their ability to hide just under the surface of the sand. They can be up to 60cm long and if swimming free display a mottled back which helps them blend into the sand.

The Learned Rockfish, or Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) lives in rocky areas and can often be found sheltering under large rocks or overhangs. It's vivid facial patterning and trusting nature make this a regular favourite with visiting photographers.

There is a large shoal of Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) which lives over the table top and patrols its edges. lone individuals can also be found in other parts of the reserve including the bay.

The Dotted Moray Eel (muraena augusti)is only found in the Azores, Maderia and the Canaries. As here it is often associated with Lady Scarlet shrimps. These are very common on the deeper dives around the Table Top.

The African Cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)looks like a small hovercraft with it's pulsating 'skirt' and gentle motion, usualy hovering a few cm above the bottom. Like the Octopus, it has the ability to quickly change it's colour to blend in with the background or flash messages to each other and to ther species.

The common (or yellow) stingray (Dasyatis pastinaca)is found in the sandier areas of the reserve. In summmer it is more commonly found at night, while in winter it comes into shallow areas to follow the spawning of smaller species, and to give birth to their young.

the distinctive Giant Anemone (Telmatactis cricoides)is distributed throughout the reserve, and comes in a variety of colours including brown, green and white. They grow to about 15cm across and make a striking picture when on a dark bottom.

The Round Stingray (Taeniura grabata) is often found in caves or under large rocks during the day. It is more of a grey/black than the lighter yellow stingray.