Plongée sous-marine: Senegal underwater

There are two scuba diving operations in Senegal, one of which is in La Somone. Most of the diving takes place around Isle de Gorée. Diving there from La Somone is an all-day affair due to the distance. The water is reasonably warm but green and murky. Many of the fish species are endemic to the western tip of Africa.

The most interesting site is the wreck of the Tacoma, a British World War II warship that was bombed in Dakar harbor and towed offshore to sink right on the ferry route between Dakar and Gorée, marked these days by a navigation buoy. This wreck had the largest fish population of any wreck we have photographed on anywhere in the Atlantic!

navigation buoy at the wreck of the Tacoma

wreck and fish school of fish school of fish school of fish wreckage and fish wreckage wreckage wreckage and fish wreckage wreckage and fish wreckage and fish wreckage and school of fish wreckage and fish wreckage and fish

porcupinefish and wreck porcupinefish and wreckage porcupinefish over wreck Porcupinefish, Diodon hystrix

bluespotted cornetfish Bluespotted cornetfish, Fistularia tabacaria

?? Ocellate damselfish, Stegastes imbriacatus

wrasse?? Blackbar hogfish, Bodianus speciosus

Mediterranean moray eel Mediterranean moray eelMediterranean moray. Muraena helena

Atlantic lizardfish Atlantic lizardfish, Synodus synodus

brown puffer Brown puffer, Sphoerides marmoratus

Marcella butterflyfish Marcella butterflyfish, Chaetodon marcellae

?? Cow bream, Sarpa salpa

sea star purple coral fire worms

Other dive sites are just off the seaward side of Gorée.

stone wall

brown puffer Brown puffer, Sphoerides marmoratus

?? Cow bream, Sarpa salpa

Hoeffler's butterflyfish Hoefler's butterflyfish, Chaetodon hoefleri

?? Blackbar hogfish (female), Bodianus speciosus

scorpionfish scorpionfish head African rockfish, Scorpaena laevis

African striped grunts African striped grunt, Parapristipoma octolineatum

Mediterranean moray eel Mediterranean moray eel Mediterranean moray, Muraena helena

zebra bream Zebra bream, Diplodus cervinus

blenny Senegal blenny, Malacoctenus africanus

balloonfish Spotfin burrfish, Chilomycterus reticulatus

undulate skate undulate skate undulate skate eyes closeup Undulate skate, Raja undulata

urchin urchin pencil urchin pencil urchin sand dollar flatworm fan worms

Deeper sites further south closer to La Somone featured colorful gorgonium fans, no two of which were the same color.

gorgoniuma gorgoniums gorgoniums yellow gorgonium orange gorgonium pink grgonium orange and brown gorgoniums purple gorgonium orange gorgonium purple and white gorgonium

two eastern Atlantic squirrelfish eastern Atlantic squirrelfish Eastern Atlantic squirrelfish, Sargocentron hastatus

Hoeffler's butterflyfish Hoeffler's butterflyfish Hoeffler's butterflyfish Hoefler's butterflyfish, Chaetodon hofleri

West African angelfish West African angelfish, Holacanthus africanus

Ballan wrasse?? Grouper, Epinephelus sp.

Mediterranean moray eel Mediterranean moray, Muraena helena

blackear moray eel Blackear moray, Muraena melanotis

Atlantic damselfish Brown damselfish, Chromis multilineata

two-banded bream Two-banded bream, Diplodus vulgaris

arrow crab coral branch

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Last modified 5 November 2024