Diving Les Impériaux

Site Overview

Les Impériaux is a reef and meadow dive site in Provence & Calanques, France, reached from the base town of Marseille. Les Impériaux is a shallow reef and Posidonia slope off Marseille, a gentle training and macro site. It is an easy, sheltered dive rich in seabream, moray eels and cuttlefish. The site reaches a maximum depth of 26 m with an average profile around 16 m and a shallow start near 6 m, which places it firmly in the beginner category and means divers should hold at least an Open Water certification. Conditions are typical of the French coastal coast: visibility generally runs from 12 to 30 metres, the current is mild, and the water temperature ranges between 15 and 25 degrees Celsius with low surge exposure. The marine community is centred on Two-banded Seabream, Mediterranean Moray, Common Octopus, Common Cuttlefish, Mediterranean Cardinalfish, Common Barracuda, and the full species list is detailed below for divers planning a trip. Les Impériaux is a strong representative of why Provence & Calanques diving is so highly regarded, blending the geology, history and biodiversity that define French underwater exploration. It pairs naturally with the other sites of the Provence & Calanques region for a varied holiday, and with the right thermal protection and, where relevant, the correct specialist training, it offers a memorable dive for photographers, naturalists and wreck or reef enthusiasts alike.