Veril de las Langostas

Veril de las Langostas — the Reef of the Lobsters — takes its name from the spiny lobster populations that have historically characterised this section of Lanzarote's southern coast reef, where the crevices and overhangs of the volcanic basalt provide the shelter that these commercially important crustaceans require. While lobster fishing has reduced populations throughout the Mediterranean and Canary Islands over the years, sites like this one — where the reef's complexity provides enough hiding places to maintain a resident population — retain the individuals that give the name its meaning. Spiny lobster — Palinurus elephas, the European spiny lobster — is one of the most visually impressive crustaceans in the eastern Atlantic. Adults reaching forty centimetres in body length, with their characteristic long spiny antennae extending further still, occupy the deeper crevices of basalt reefs throughout the Canary Islands, emerging to feed after dark but visible to attentive divers who scan crevice openings during the day for the telltale antennae movement or the distinctive eyeshine when a torch illuminates the shadowed interior. The reef at Veril de las Langostas provides the habitat that makes this daytime lobster spotting feasible: substantial crevices and underhangs in the basalt at various depths, the enclosed spaces large enough to shelter mature individuals. The reef's outer edge — the veril that gives the site its full name — adds the drop-off character that concentrates additional species and provides the visual drama of transitioning from shallow reef to deeper open water. For beginner divers, the lobster-spotting aspect of this dive adds a specific wildlife focus that directs observation and rewards patience — developing the systematic searching of crevice openings that is one of the fundamental skills of productive reef diving. The rest of the reef community includes the typical Canarian assemblage of wrasse, grouper, and bream, with the sandy sections providing habitat for the stingrays and angel sharks that are possible throughout Lanzarote's southern coast.