No. 32 - Its Gran Canaria Magazine

32
GET TO KNOW GRAN CANARIA I CONOCE GRAN CANARIA EDICIÓN 32
Discover the depths of Gran Canaria at the
wonderful marine beds of Sardina de Gáldar
Foto: Arturo Telle
Foto: Iker Vildósolo y Javier Martín
Foto: Arturo Telle y Davinia Hernández
The bay of Sardina de Gáldar is overlooked by the
Farallón de Tábata, to the southwest, and by the
Punta de Sardina, to the northwest, and is protected
from the north trade winds, with its calm,
crystal-clear waters. It offers a constant invitation
to enjoy its natural beauty in the northwest corner
of Gran Canaria.
The area is under the protection of the European
Union in the form of a Special Area of Conserva-tion
(SAC) in the marine strip that runs from the Barranco
del Juncal ravine to La Punta de Gáldar, due to
the fragile ecosystem that inhabits it. Given it occupies
such a relatively small area of space it has
a highly varied typology, with seagrass meadows,
commonly known as "sebadales", mixed sandy and
rocky beds, bleached areas, as well as caves, arches
and rocky cliffs with reef structures. These sea beds
are of great biological interest, as they are home
to some particularly important communities and
species such as the jewelled anemones (Corynactis
viridis), as well as species of community interest
such as the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and
the angelshark (Squatina squatina), among others.
For this reason, Sardina has become a hotspot for
scuba diving enthusiasts. This activity has been
growing in popularity over recent years due to the
natural benefits that make it a perfect place for
diving, even for beginners, and for enjoying the
marvellous seabed and a rich diversity of marine
life.
Every year, the Department of Tourism at Gáldar
Town Hall organises the FotoSub Sardina competition,
which this year will celebrate its ninth edition
from the 24th to the 26th of October. Over the
years, its participants have become perfect ambassadors
of the area, producing magical snapshots of
the underwater depths.
Indeed, the fact that it is an open competition has
meant that it has established itself as one of the
most important of its kind, while the Sardina 'Hunting'
category, which consists of photographing the
largest number of species within a time frame set
by the organisers, has come close to breaking regional
and national records, which is a fine example
of its rich biodiversity.
For all these reasons, the waters of Sardina have
become some of the most highly rated areas for
divers, and have been recognised as one of the top
10 places to dive in Spain.