Las Anclas

Las Anclas — the Anchors — is an advanced dive in northern Fuerteventura near the productive El Rio channel that separates the island from Lanzarote, its name preserving the memory of the historic anchors found on or near this section of the seabed where vessels from centuries of Atlantic maritime history sought anchorage in the shelter of the northern coast. This is exposed, current-influenced diving in one of the Canary Islands' most dynamic and productive marine environments. The position of Las Anclas near the El Rio channel places it in the zone where tidal flow between Fuerteventura and Lanzarote creates the conditions that define northern Fuerteventura's diving character: strong, directional current at tidal peaks, outstanding water clarity maintained by the constant exchange of open Atlantic water through the strait, and the biological productivity that the channel's upwelling and nutrient flux generates. These conditions make advanced management essential — Las Anclas is best dived at slack water or with solid drift diving technique. The anchors that give the site its name tell the story of this coastline's maritime significance. The channel between Fuerteventura and Lanzarote was on the sailing routes that connected the Canary Islands to Spain, Africa, and the Americas, and vessels that sought shelter in the northern coast's waters left anchors behind when lines parted or conditions forced hasty departures. These iron artefacts, now encrusted with marine organisms and integrated into the reef community, provide both historical resonance and specific habitat for the species that colonise metal structures. The productive channel waters sustain exceptional marine life at Las Anclas. Large amberjack schools exploit the current for hunting efficiency, sweeping through the site in fast, coordinated formations. Schooling horse mackerel congregate in the productive water above the reef, and the occasional tuna appears in the blue water of the channel itself. The reef formations are richly encrusted with the Atlantic community that current-swept productive water always develops. An advanced current dive of genuine excitement and biological richness.