El Puertito, Adeje: Tenerife's sheltered bay dive

El Puertito is a sheltered bay dive located off Adeje, offering a gentle entry into the underwater world of Tenerife. The site is characterized by an initial rocky bottom that slopes gently from around 10 metres, transitioning into extensive sandy areas covered with marine seagrass. This topography provides cover and feeding grounds for a variety of smaller marine life, making it a comfortable environment even for those new to ocean diving. The clear, calm conditions within the bay allow for a relaxed exploration of these distinct habitats.

As you descend, you will find yourself navigating over the rocky formations at around 10 metres. These formations are often home to colourful anemones, sea stars, and various sponges, creating a vibrant micro-habitat. Moving past the rocks, the seabed opens up to wide expanses of sand interspersed with large seagrass beds. These beds are crucial ecosystems, offering shelter and foraging opportunities, and it is here that you are most likely to encounter the site's renowned green turtles (Chelonia mydas) as they graze peacefully.

The maximum depth at El Puertito extends to 15 metres, maintaining a consistent shallow profile throughout the dive. This limited depth contributes to the site's reputation for calm conditions and excellent ambient light penetration, enhancing visibility and the experience of observing marine life. In these shallower zones, you can also encounter cuttlefish, octopuses, and various nudibranchs moving slowly across the substrate, often blending into their surroundings, requiring a keen eye to spot them.

Beyond the seagrass and sandy patches, a safe, easily accessible cave structure provides a different environment to explore. This natural shelter is known to host Atlantic stingrays (Hypanus sabinus), groupers (Epinephelus marginatus), and moray eels (Muraena helena), often resting within its confines. The cave itself is not deep, offering a brief change of scenery without requiring advanced skills to navigate, and seeing these larger inhabitants compressed into a smaller space makes for a memorable encounter.

The sandy areas surrounding the seagrass are particularly productive for finding rays, which are often partially buried or resting directly on the sand. You might also spot smaller reef fish such as trumpetfish (Aulostomus strigatus), Atlantic lizardfish (Synodus saurus), and goatfish (Mullus surmuletus). The combination of rocky, sandy, and seagrass habitats ensures a diverse range of species, from the conspicuous turtles to the more camouflaged crabs and cleaning shrimp, all within an easily manageable depth.

While the site thrives with its resident populations, including various schools of smaller fish, exploring the edges where the sand meets the rock can reveal additional species like spider crabs and other invertebrates. The calm conditions within the bay make it possible to take your time and observe these creatures in detail, whether they are small scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa) tucked into crevices or vibrant sea spiders making their way across the seabed. It is a site designed for observation and gentle exploration without the challenge of strong currents.