UNIQUE - Canary Islands
We’ve always had a soft spot for the wrecks around the Canaries, and UNIQUE is one of our favourites. This motor vessel, a good 77 metres long, went down at anchor back in '84, apparently while laid up. You drop onto the stern, which is surprisingly intact, the propeller still there, almost urging you to take a closer look. What we love about UNIQUE is the sheer volume of fish that have claimed it as home. Swarms of barracuda often patrol the deck, and we've regularly seen eagle rays glide past the bow on deeper dives. The wreck itself is a joy to navigate, lying upright and fairly shallow at 20 metres. You can swim through the bridge, which is now a haven for glassfish, their scales catching the light. We'd suggest focusing on the midship section, where the superstructure offers plenty of nooks and crannies to explore, perfect for spotting moray eels peering out from shadowed compartments. It’s a comfortable dive, usually with good visibility, making it suitable for advanced open water divers keen on a proper wreck experience without tricky currents or extreme depths.
- Location
- Canary Islands, Spain, Mediterranean & Europe
- Coordinates
- 28.116667, -15.408333
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 20m
Marine Protected Area: Bahía del Confital
Best Time to Dive in Canary Islands
The warmest water temperatures in Canary Islands occur in September, averaging 23.7°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 19.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 20.1°C
- February: 19.5°C
- March: 19.3°C
- April: 19.8°C
- May: 20.6°C
- June: 21.8°C
- July: 22.6°C
- August: 23.1°C
- September: 23.7°C
- October: 23.5°C
- November: 22.4°C
- December: 21.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Canary Islands
- Abakas I - 15m
- AFRICAN VIOLET - 24m (wreck)
- AL MOTAWAKIL - 7m (wreck)
- AMERICAN STAR - 4m (wreck)
- Añaza - 18m
- Anchors Canary - 23m (wreck)
- Anfi Beach - 7m
- Anfiteatro - 20m
- ANGELA PANDO (FWD PART) - 20m (wreck)
- AOW Deep - 22m (wall)
- Arguineguin Reef - 16m (reef)
- ARONA - 30m (wreck)
- Arrecifal (reef)
- Artificial - 20m (wreck)
- Artificial - Block2 - 20m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to UNIQUE
- Acuarios Jandia - PADI, SSI
- Apnea Academy West Europe
- APNEA CANARIAS
- Aqua-Marina - ["PADI"]
- Aquanautic Club Lanzarote
- Aquarius Dive Center SL - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Canary Islands
Home to 80 recorded species including 50 reef fish, 9 whales & dolphins, 8 sharks & rays, 2 octopus & squid, 2 crabs & lobsters, 2 worms.
Notable Species
- Ornate Wrasse (Thalassoma pavo) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Sparisoma cretense) - Reef Fish
- monkfish (Squatina squatina) - Sharks & Rays
- Damsel fish (Chromis limbata) - Reef Fish
- Bogue (Boops boops) - Reef Fish
- Bastard Grunt (Pomadasys incisus) - Reef Fish
- White Seabream (Diplodus sargus) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Puffer (Canthigaster capistrata) - Reef Fish
- Yellow Barracuda (Sphyraena viridensis) - Reef Fish
- Comb grouper (Mycteroperca fusca) - Reef Fish
- Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Salema (Sarpa salpa) - Reef Fish
- red mullet (Mullus surmuletus) - Reef Fish
- Diamond Lizardfish (Synodus synodus) - Reef Fish
- Blacktail Bream (Diplodus vulgaris) - Reef Fish
- Oman Porgy (Diplodus cervinus) - Reef Fish
- Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) - Reef Fish
- Wide-eyed Flounder (Bothus podas) - Reef Fish
- axillary sea-bream (Pagellus acarne) - Reef Fish
- common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) - Octopus & Squid
Recommended Packing List for UNIQUE
Based on average water temperature of 21.5°C, currents 7 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 21°C water
- 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