La Gabinière – Tombant Est
The east wall of La Gabinière islet south of Port-Cros is the park's signature dive: a great wall full of gorgonians, with barracuda schools and many large groupers. It reaches about 45 m and often has current.
Facts
- Region: France – Provence & Côte d'Azur
- Area: Port-Cros & Le Levant
- Depth: 45 m
- Level: advanced
- Current: moderate
- Type: wall, drift
- Coordinates: 42.98918, 6.39678
- Highlights: dusky grouper, barracuda, red gorgonian
- Permit: Port-Cros National Park waters (Port-Cros): scuba diving is forbidden without a park dive authorisation. Each diver or dive centre registers on CaPeL (capel.portcros-parcnational.fr), signs the dive regulation and reports dives; the boat's 'plongée' sticker is collected at a park house. Max 40 divers at a time per site, no anchoring within 100 m of dive sites, use the dive buoys (max 3 boats, none over 15 m). At La Gabinière, La Croix, Le Vaisseau and La Galère someone able to move the boat must stay aboard 9–17 h in the May–June peak periods and in July–August. Visiting divers normally dive with a registered centre. Check current rules. (Source: Port-Cros National Park marine regulation leaflet 2025)
- Issuer / contact: Parc national de Port-Cros (dive authorisation via CaPeL online logbook)
- Phone: +33 4 94 12 82 30
- Email: accueil.pnpc@portcros-parcnational.fr
- Website: https://capel.portcros-parcnational.fr/
- Tips: Very popular – the 40-diver limit and boat-crew rule apply in season; no feeding or touching.