The Pyrenees that fall into the sea. This is a « steep » coast, brava in Catalan, where trees cling to ochre soil on the mountainside to face the elements. Wild landscapes, with coves and cliffs, dotted with small villages and a few towns like Rosas and Palamós, the Costa Brava has a unique strength and light that have inspired many artists, from Chagall to Picasso, not to forget the master of the place, Salvador Dalí. But it is also the first diving destination in Europe. We think we know it, yet from Port de la Selva to Palamos, it still holds many surprises! Benvinguts!

Acknowledgments : Pablo Torres, Genís Dalmau, Juan Bta. Torras, Jean-Louis Galy, Thierry Trossel.

A Concentrate of the Mediterranean

Grouper, barracudas, corbs, dentex, sea bream, sars, sea bass, lobsters, rays… Nothing is missing from the waters of the Costa Brava, which gather the most emblematic Mediterranean species in abundance!Don’t argue on board the dive boats about whether what your group saw is a real or fake barracuda, and settle it once and for all! It is, in any case, a representative of the genus Sphyraena (pike in Greek) which includes just under 30 species, some commonly called barracudas (e.g.: Sphyraena barracuda, the “real” one from the tropics), others called sphyrènes or bécunes (e.g.: Sphyraena viridensis, the yellowmouth barracuda or Sphyraena sphyraena, the European barracuda, found in the Mediterranean).
In areas where the dive director has indicated that they can be observed, remember to regularly look towards the surface and feel free to move slightly away from the rock, in open water. If you encounter them, remember to remain still: they most often move tirelessly from one point to another; this will increase your chances of observing them… without getting out of breath. A little photo tip: as the skin of these fish is a true mirror, it is best to turn off the flash.

Discreet Corbs and Hunting Wolfs

The corbs (Sciaena umbra), long threatened by overfishing, nearly disappeared from certain Mediterranean areas. It must be said that they are not reasonable: they are beautiful, tasty, not very shy, and live in schools, always in the same place! A dream prey. But here, in the protected areas of the Costa Brava, they are everywhere! They gather in schools near large rocks or faults and allow easy observation… provided you maintain a certain safety distance.
At the end of your dive, pay attention to the behavior of the fish near the surface, especially in areas where the water swirls near the rocks and foams. This is the ideal hunting ground for the sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, the same species as the Atlantic bass. The Ancients, who observed its voracious behavior, particularly when it hunts at sunset, called it lupus in Rome and labrax in Greece, meaning « wolf, » a name it has kept in the Mediterranean. And the protected areas are the rare places where scuba divers can observe them. Sit nearby, don’t move, don’t make sudden movements, and don’t breathe… Its curiosity will do the rest. It will come straight towards you, then turn in front of your mask before leaving. It’s the perfect moment to take photographs.

The browén grouper, lord of the côte

The Mediterranean brown grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) is the lord of the Costa Brava, from Cap de Creus to Llafranc. It is now forbidden to feed it, as divers in the 1990s contributed to a dramatic rise in its cholesterol by offering it hard boiled eggs, which it quickly gobbled up, dive after dive. The grouper has fascinated since antiquity. Did you know it was called Anthias back then? Yes, yes, named after the little pink fish that lives in gorgonians, from Aristotle and his History of Animals, until 1554. It was a transcription error by Rondelet, in The Complete History of Fish, which assigned the name Anthias to another species. Grouper is fond of octopus and lobsters, leading some to claim its proliferation disrupts habitats… As if nature had waited for humans to find its balance!
Along the entire coast, grouper have very different behaviors: truly wild and thus fearful at Cap de Creus, or used to divers like in L’Estartit, almost seeking contact with them. It’s up to each person to choose according to their sensitivity.

Alain Foret

On the Costa Brava, three diving zones can be distinguished:

• To the north, the Cap de Creus area, from Portbou and Llançà to Rosas and Empuriabrava ;
• L’Escala, L’Estartit, and the Medes Islands, a world-renowned destination;
• To the south, the area stretching from Begur to Blanes, passing through Palamos.

To learn more: Association of Diving Centers of the Costa Brava

Association of Diving Centers of the Costa Brava

The Association of Diving Centers of the Costa Brava, which has existed for 34 years, brings together 38 diving centers that welcome divers from around the world, including many French attracted by the proximity of this border region to Occitania.The president of the association, Miríam Prat, follows in the footsteps of her parents who, for 30 years, have devoted their lives to the sea and diving. The young woman is the figurehead of the centers affiliated with the association, both focused on traditions and the new generation of divers.

The association is a meeting point and exchange of knowledge between all the associated centers. It represents partners to administrations to facilitate their daily lives, while carrying out actions to promote the territory and its underwater values.

For years, the association has been conducting actions focused on sustainable diving, among which stands out its Ecoguides program, which, over 3 years, has trained, informed, and provided specific equipment to all associated diving centers.