Beneath the surface, a strange world unfolds in all depths. Fish basking in the sun, crabs hiding under rock, gorgonians filtering plankton and blooming like sea flowers. Here, a small fish runs to hide in a crevice, hoping to escape a predator. There, a herbivorous fish on the hunt is chased by a carnivorous fish. Scenes follow one another without ever being identical. Colorful, always surprising, the underwater life excites the diver, whether a beginner or an experienced diver. Our ten favorite dives in mainland France.
Destruction of the Giver at Hyer
One of the most famous wrecks in the Mediterranean is located at a depth of 51 m between the islands of Port-Cros and Porquerolles. On December 10, 1945, the 78-meter truck “Donator”, which was carrying wine barrels, sank on a mine, and over time turned into an oasis of life. Giant gorgonians, sponges and alcyonians combine their colors, while fish frolic on the deck (shrimp, grouper) or hide in reservoirs (scorpion fish). Dangerous area due to Ligurian current and open water recovery under parachute where decompression times can be long. Reserved for experienced people (NIII).
Diving contact: espacemer-plongee.fr
Tourist Office: hyeres-tourisme.com
Le Rubis submarine, off Frejus
Going to see a sunken submarine inevitably gets the drones buzzing. At a depth of 41 meters, this minesweeper, sunk in 1958, is 66 meters long, 7 wide and 8 high. A look from the front gives an idea of its bulk and power. Tools, machinery and torpedo launchers can be easily observed. If visibility is good, the submarine appears ready to take off for the mission. It is invaded by conger eels, schools of sardines, amberjacks and wrasse, while beautiful red gorgonians are common. Very nice site, only accessible if there is no swell or mistral.
Diving contact: cip-frejus.com
Tourist office: frejus.fr
Lavesz: wealth of the reserve
A nature reserve managed by the Corsican Environment Office, the Lavesci Archipelago has seven islands. The dives around Lavescu are famous for the schools of barracuda and the variety of fish encountered. The site will appeal to both novices and insiders. One of the most famous shallows is the Sec du Pellu, colloquially known as Mérouville. The divers are accompanied by a family of about thirty brown groupers, familiar because they have not been hunted since 1999.
Contact diving: bonifacioplongee.corsica
Tourist office: bonifacio.fr
At Banyuls, overlooking Cap Cerbère
North of the Spanish border, Banyuls-sur-Mer and Serbs joined forces in 1974 to create France’s first marine nature reserve. Suffice it to say that today life there is teeming with both fauna and flora. There are many barracudas, groupers, dentex, gravel that have not been caught in 48 years. The most popular dive sites: Les Tyñes, Le Dôme, Les 3 moines, Cap l’Abeille North, Cap l’Abeille South.
Diving contact: rederis.com
Tourist Office: banyuls-sur-mer.com
Near Arcachon, Atlantic Wall
1942: The wall seen from the sea must have looked impressive to prevent an Allied landing. 2022: Under greenish water, with sometimes shy visibility, about fifteen blocks are scattered in several places at a depth accessible to beginners (-20 meters). Built by the Third Reich, these behemoths are now a haven for the squid, golden crab, spiders and fish that lurk there. They are sometimes lined with anemones and bare branches, a kind of sea urchins a few centimeters long, which slide over their walls.
Dive contact: diveehippo.com
Tourist Office: lege-capferret.com
The ria d’Étel, ideal for beginners
Imagine how one arm of the sea enters the land. and Ria. Étel, located between Lorient and Quiberon, offers an ideal playground; no waves, no chops, no swells. Sandy bottoms not exceeding 20 meters in depth, which do not discourage those who are afraid of the void of the abyss. The flora fixed on the rocks attracts the eye with the beauty of its colors. jewel anemones decked out in pinks, greens, yellows, while sponges come in all shades of orange. There is a lot of animal life: crabs, octopus spiders, knives, nudibranchs. Crabs coexist with lobsters, who eat the remains of their feasts, while schools of drum wander together. Local star: dromia, a small crustacean that traps a sponge in its hind legs to hide its shell from predators.
Diving contact: cercle-nautique-etel.fr
Tourist Office: baiedequiberon.bzh/etel
Eternal Glennan in Fuesan
Outside Concarneau, beneath the turquoise blue surface of the ‘Breton Tropics’ lies a universe where large kelp (brown algae) dance in the currents. As the Glenan Archipelago is protected, life is abundant there. eels, starfish, schools of swallows, lobsters, octopuses coexist with sea urchins and sea anemones. The interest of this Finistère site lies in these sheltered areas, without currents, perfect for beginners. More experienced divers will have fun on the wrecks: trawler Mascaret (-37m), trawler Notre-Dame (-27m), Alja, a Norwegian cargo ship wrecked in 1940 (-39m), Captain of War, coal steamer (- 25 m), Pietro Orseolo, 140 m barge (-32 m), Galaxy, 35 m long iron barge (-30 m).
Diving contact: cip-glenan.fr
Tourist office.turisme-fouesnant.fr
Outside Fort La Latte near Cap Fréhel
In the distance you can see the magnificent Fort La Latte standing out on its promontory. On the surrounding rocks, guillemots, seabirds that look like little penguins, flit in the Breton sky. Head north to an isolated rock planted on a large sand plain. It is possible to dive there at low tide for beginners (-20 m) and at high tide for experienced divers (-36 m). The currents there are quite strong, but who says that the currents say life? Schools of waders, terns, open-water waders, rock eels and lobsters share the expanse of rocky crevices.
Diving contact: Plongevasion (Saint-Cast, captain’s residence) 06 70 32 96 18.
Tourist Office: dinan-capfrehel.com
The Amoco in Cadiz, Finistère-Nord
Breton Alain Barrier sets to music the Amoco Cadiz supertanker disaster that littered the 375km coast of Finisterre and Côte d’Armor in the spring of 1978. Since then, the resilience of ecosystems has worked and failed. is a popular diving site where one only ventures into dead water (tide coeff
Diving contact: korejouplongee.com
Tourist office: iroise-bretagne.bzh
SS Leopoldville, Cherbourg ship
Cherbourg also has its own Titanic. But it is well hidden. The Leopoldville is a 146 meter long and 19 meter wide ship that was sunk on December 24, 1944 by the German submarine U-486. Its depth (with screw -57 m) is reserved for experienced divers (NIII). The aircraft lay to port and the wreckage, although split in two by a torpedo blast, was in good condition. The cut is straight. Corridors are accessible.
Diving contact: poleplongeenormandie.org
Tourist Office: encotentin.fr/cherbourg
Source: Le Figaro
