Le Canadair - Corsica
Diving Le Canadair, for us, is always a bit of a thrill. You drop onto this perfectly intact jet fighter at 18 metres, lying upright on the sandy bottom, just begging to be explored. It’s an intermediate dive, sure, but the relatively shallow depth means you get plenty of bottom time to really take it all in. We love hovering over the cockpit, imagining the pilot, and then finning along the fuselage where moray eels peer from cracks and damselfish dart around the wings. The plane itself is a Canadair Sabre, a proper piece of history, and it’s surprisingly graceful down there. You can glide right under the wings, peer into the engine intake, and appreciate the sheer scale of it. On a sunny day, the light plays beautifully off the metal, and the visibility is often good enough to see the entire wreck as you descend. Our favourite spot is usually the tail section; it’s just so dramatic. Expect to see plenty of wrasse and occasionally some inquisitive групers checking you out. It’s not a site for massive schools of fish, but the wreck itself is the star, a silent monument teeming with smaller life.
- Location
- Corsica, France, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 42.098700, 8.672300
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 18m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: Zones de quiétude du Balbuzard pêcheur
Best Time to Dive in Corsica
The warmest water temperatures in Corsica occur in January, averaging 13.9°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 13.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 13.9°C (air: 9.4°C)
- February: 13.9°C (air: 10.7°C)
- March: 13.9°C (air: 11.2°C)
- April: 13.9°C (air: 13.4°C)
- May: 13.9°C (air: 17.4°C)
- June: 13.9°C (air: 22.3°C)
- July: 13.9°C (air: 25.5°C)
- August: 13.9°C (air: 25.3°C)
- September: 13.9°C (air: 21.6°C)
- October: 13.9°C (air: 17.9°C)
- November: 13.9°C (air: 13.8°C)
- December: 13.9°C (air: 10.8°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Corsica
- A-20 Havoc, plane wreck - 21m (wreck)
- A Casaïola - 13m (reef)
- ADERNO - 55m (wreck)
- AFRICHELLE - 45m (wreck)
- Aile - 19m
- ALBERI (POSSIBLY) - 12m (wreck)
- Aquarium - 19m
- B-17 Bomber Wreck - 24-29m (wreck)
- Bagheera - 9m
- BAGLIETTO (PROBABLY) - 5m (wreck)
- Banc provencal - 40m
- Barakouda Diving Centre
- Benguigui
- BETTOLINA (POSSIBLY) - 12m (wreck)
- Cala dei Santi - 23m
Nearest Dive Centres to Le Canadair
- ACQUASPORT di Mazzi Stefano & C.S.n.c.
- A PIAGHJA DIVING CALVI - SSI, PADI
- Aquanautic Elba - SSI
- ARGENTARIO DIVERS SRL - PADI, SSI, UTD
- ARGENTARIO - OBI DIVING
- A.S.D. AMICI DI NEMO - SSI
Marine Life in Corsica
Home to 225 recorded species including 146 reef fish, 35 sharks & rays, 9 seagrass & algae, 8 whales & dolphins, 8 other, 5 hard corals.
Notable Species
- Mediterranean tapeweed (Posidonia oceanica) - Seagrass & Algae
- Blue-white Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) - Whales & Dolphins
- Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) - Reef Fish
- Moonfish (Mola mola) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Razorback (Balaenoptera physalus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Corb (Sciaena umbra) - Reef Fish
- Scarlet Coral (Balanophyllia (Balanophyllia) europaea) - Hard Corals
- Bushy Coral (Cladocora caespitosa) - Hard Corals
- Wrasse (Coris julis) - Reef Fish
- Damsel fish (Chromis chromis) - Reef Fish
- Red coral (Corallium rubrum) - Soft Corals
- Blotched Picarel (Spicara maena) - Reef Fish
- Bogue (Boops boops) - Reef Fish
- Sunset cup coral (Leptopsammia pruvoti) - Hard Corals
- Painted Comber (Serranus scriba) - Reef Fish
- Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) - Reef Fish
- Devil fish (Mobula mobular) - Sharks & Rays
- loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta)
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Le Canadair
Based on average water temperature of 13.9°C.
- Wetsuit (5-7mm) - recommended for 14°C water
- Hood & Gloves (3-5mm) - helps retain warmth
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories