One of the greatest attractions of the seabed are wrecks, both for their history and for the large amount of life they harbor. In Tenerife we are fortunate to have several of these submerged treasures that have become points of special interest for divers.
The strategic location of the islands has made them an important point of passage for many boats. This, together with the strong waves and rocky coasts, has created the perfect equation for some of these ships to end up as underwater sculptures.
Some of the best known wrecks in Tenerife are:
El Peñón
El Peñón is proof that not all sunken ships have tragic stories behind them. In 2006 it sank specifically off the coast of Tabaiba to act as an artificial reef.
It is currently between 18 and 30 meters deep. In addition, it is one of the sunken vessels that is best preserved at the bottom of the seas.
Due to its proximity to our diving center and its great conservation, El Peñón is undoubtedly the wreck that we visit the most. In addition, it always surprises us with its large amount of marine life.
In our PADI Advanced OWD course we always to a dive in the wreck of Tabaiba!
Westburn
The Westburn, also known as Carbonero, was a British steamship that sank in 1916. Today we can enjoy the image that its 100 meters in length give off in front of Las Gaviotas beach, at a depth of 30 meters.
This ship had been captured by the German Navy during the 1st World War. To prevent it from being recovered by the allies, it was dynamited and sunk.
El Coronel
Initially, El Coronel was a Russian-made fishing boat that, after a period of no activity, was transformed to carry out different jobs for the company Celso Fariña, S.L.
It sank in 2003 while carrying out measurement work. It is currently around 15 meters deep in Puerto de la Cruz. However, strong currents are eroding it at high speed.
El Condesito
El Condesito is another of the steamships found on the seabed.
This freighter was in charge of transporting cement and, on one of its usual routes, it collided with the rocks at Punta de Rasca in 1973.
All its remains can be found distributed between 10 and 20 meters deep.
It is important to remember that wrecks can be dangerous when diving in them, causing cuts, stings or even, if you penetrate them, suffering detachments and reducing visibility. Due to these risks, it is currently not possible to access the interior of a boat without the proper certification such as PADI Wreck Diver.
