El Cantil

El Cantil allows divers of all levels to enjoy the reef. Due to the shallow nature of the reef, at just under 20 feet in depth, even family members who snorkel can follow along on the surface. At it's deepest (50 feet) the reef turns into long furrows of canyons and gullies. This is a long drawn out reef that creates a barrier to the shore, eventually ending up in the beach. El Cantil is the largest of the reef complexes being a little over maybe 2 miles long and up to 200 feet wide in places.

Due to the shalow nature of the reef, it is prone to currents that may greatly affect the visibility. However, on a good day, because of the depth, one maybe able to cover the whole reef on a gentle drift.

The shallow reef top is covered in hard corals (brain, stag & stony) which allow a miriad of invertebrates to hide during the day, while the reef top is patrolled by coral eating fish such as the parrots and butterflies. To the west of the reef, the surface is contains lots of tunnels and gullies, some wide enough for divers to comfortably swim through creating some classic photographic opportunities. Furthermore, these gullies come out onto the sandy bottom which is home to garden eels that sway in the current. The gullies themselves are hiding places for moreys, nudibranchs and th smaller varieties of reef fish

North on the reef it becomes deeper (and so is usually the dropping in point for your dive). It is flatter here, and there will be some great opportunities to take some wide angle shots of snapper, yellow tail and the occational stingray. As this dive depends so much on the current, so does the fish life to be found also. The Jacks that we often see on El Bajo seem to move over to El Cantil, while we also regularly spot amber jacks and reef sharks.