Outer Tabarca (rock slab, outer waters) – Tabarca marine reserve (permit)
Submerged rock slab about 50 m long and 8 m wide near the outer limits of the Tabarca marine reserve, on a sandy seabed at about 25 m with the highest part at 19 m. The route is a simple loop around the slab (about 40 minutes at average depth). Rock and seagrass hold crustaceans, moray and conger eels, sea stars, scorpionfish and larger fish such as white seabream and dusky grouper. The page gives two inconsistent coordinate sets about 1.5 km apart, so the position here (the map-link pin) is approximate. Reserve permit required.
Facts
- Region: Spain – Valencia coast (Columbretes, Costa Blanca, Tabarca)
- Area: Tabarca – Santa Pola
- Depth: 19–25 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: moderate
- Type: reef
- Coordinates: 38.1674, -0.4707 (approximate)
- Highlights: submerged rock slab about 50 x 8 m on sand, moray, conger and scorpionfish, white seabream and dusky grouper
- Permit: Tabarca is Spain's oldest marine reserve (1986). Scuba diving needs a prior permit; no night dives, no shore entries from land, and boats must use the assigned mooring buoy and fly the diver-down flag. In the inner waters (Escull Negre, the artificial reef, Islote de la Galera, Escull Roig) the permit is handled by the Generalitat Valenciana (Alicante provincial services of the agriculture and fisheries department), applications 5-15 working days ahead with a dive certificate, accident and liability insurance and ID, within daily quotas per zone; in the outer waters it is granted by the Government Sub-delegation in Alicante (Agriculture and Fisheries unit) under the 2000 ministerial order. Centres in Santa Pola usually arrange this. (Sources: BOE order of 24 July 2000; Papelea procedure summary dated 2019 – confirm the current procedure)
- Issuer / contact: Subdelegación del Gobierno en Alicante – Agricultura y Pesca (outer waters) / Generalitat Valenciana agriculture & fisheries services in Alicante (inner waters)
- Website: https://boe.es/boe/dias/2000/08/02/pdfs/A27815-27816.pdf
- No phone/e-mail verified from an official page; see the BOE order for the issuing bodies.
- Tips: Control buoyancy to protect the bottom; permit and mooring buoy are arranged by the centre.