Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
El Hierro is the westernmost and smallest of the Canary Islands, formed by volcanic activity and known for a coastline of steep drop-offs into deep Atlantic water. Barco Chino sits along this rugged shoreline, in an area where the island's volcanic rock formations meet the open sea, within the marine reserve established to protect the waters around the island. The site tops out at around 20 metres and is rated a beginner dive. Divers have reported barracuda, cuttlefish, frogfish, grouper, lobster, moray eels, nudibranchs, octopus, squid, and stingrays along the rock.
AI overviewMarine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
StingrayStingrayReported here · unconfirmed
CuttlefishCuttlefishReported here · unconfirmed
Moray eelMoray eelReported here · unconfirmed
LobsterLobsterReported here · unconfirmed
European ParrotfishSparisoma cretenseReported here · unconfirmed
Ornate WrasseThalassoma pavoReported here · unconfirmed
Eastern Atlantic TrumpetfishAulostomus strigosusReported here · unconfirmed
Canary DamselSimiliparma luridaReported here · unconfirmed
Macaronesian TobyCanthigaster capistrataReported here · unconfirmed
Planehead FilefishStephanolepis hispidaReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic DamselfishChromis limbataReported here · unconfirmed
GrouperGrouperReported here · unconfirmed
FrogfishFrogfishReported here · unconfirmed
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
OctopusOctopusReported here · unconfirmed
BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
SquidSquidReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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