Marseille & Calanques, France
    Port-Cros

    Port-Cros National Park

    Best months: Aug

    Protected Area

    Port-Cros

    Why dive here

    With 157+ marine species recorded in the area - including blue sharks, dolphins, dwarf minke whales, humpback whales and mobula rays (devil rays) - Port-Cros National Park offers some of Marseille & Calanques's richest diving. Water ranges 14-25°C, warmest July, August, September.

    Best timeAug
    WetsuitA 3mm shorty or thin full wetsuit
    Marine lifeBlue Sharks, Dolphins, Dwarf Minke Whales, Humpback Whales and Mobula Rays (Devil Rays) · 157+ species recorded
    Water14-25°C · warmest July, August, September
    StandoutExceptional marine biodiversity

    Port-Cros is a Mediterranean standout, and we'd argue it’s one of the best spots in France. The protected status really shows, with groupers that are practically pets – they'll swim right up to you, big curious eyes checking you out. It’s an easy dive typically, great for seeing what a healthy Mediterranean ecosystem looks like. Our favourite dive here is La Gabinière, a rock pinnacle that just screams "fish aggregation device." We’ve seen schools of barracuda here so dense they look like a shimmering wall, and the resident moray eels are always out and about. Dropping down, you feel the temperature dip slightly, and the sheer number of organisms clinging to the rock face, the way the light filters through the water around the pinnacle, it’s just superb. Keep an eye out for the yellow-legged gulls circling above; they’re a good indicator of where the action might be. The Posidonia meadows are extensive too, and it’s always worth a slow glide over them, looking for octopuses camouflaged on the blades or the flash of a cowfish. We’d suggest going in late spring or early autumn for the best mix of comfortable water temperatures and fewer boats.

    Today05:4317:0011h 17m daylightGolden hour 16:22

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    Conditions

    Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Port-Cros National Park

    Port-Cros National Park Ocean Conditions

    Monthly averages for Port-Cros National Park, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (43.11, 5.89) (32km away)

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    October Averages

    Sea Temperature

    21°C

    69°F · Range: 15.7–23.1°C

    Air Temperature

    18°C

    64°F

    Wind Speed

    6.69 m/s

    13.0 knots

    Atmospheric Pressure

    1016.9 hPa

    Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data

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