Veril de las anclas

Veril de las Anclas — the Reef of the Anchors — takes its name from the historic anchors that have been found on or near this section of Lanzarote's southern reef: iron anchors from the sailing vessels that once navigated these waters, their chains and ironwork now encrusted with the marine organisms that colonise any metal object left on the seabed for decades, making them as much a part of the reef community as the natural basalt formations surrounding them. Historic anchors are among the most romantically resonant objects found on dive sites. Each one represents a vessel that anchored here: a ship that sought shelter, resupplied, or waited out weather in the lee of Lanzarote's coast over the centuries that the island has been on sailing routes connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas. The anchors' designs — the shape of the anchor, its construction materials, and the style of its ring — can suggest the period and national origin of the vessel that owned it, adding historical detective work to the pleasures of the dive. The reef surrounding the anchors is typical of Lanzarote's southern underwater landscape: volcanic basalt formations colonised by sponges, anemones, and the endemic wrasse species that characterise Canarian diving, with the addition of the metal objects as focal points around which the marine community organises itself. Iron and steel in seawater accumulate encrusting organisms at a rate that makes them productive habitat quickly, and the anchors at this site have had sufficient time to develop into genuine reef features in their own right. For beginner divers, the historic anchors provide an additional dimension to the dive — something to seek out, identify, and appreciate beyond the biological reef community. The sandy areas between reef and anchor sites are worth scanning for angel sharks. A pleasant beginner dive with the distinctive historical dimension that found anchors always provide.