Corals

The architects of the underwater world — hard corals build the reef, soft corals sway in the current. Take your time and look closely: the polyps feeding at night or in current are one of diving's quiet spectacles.

Last updated April 2026

Orange coralAstroides calycularis10 photos

EndangeredUp to 5 cm3–30mRocky reefCave

Vivid orange cup-shaped polyps that encrust shaded rock surfaces in bright patches. One of the Med's most striking corals — impossible to miss on cave walls.

Found in caves, overhangs, and shaded walls where it forms dense orange carpets — a Mediterranean-endemic species, indicator of good water quality.

Observed at

Bajo Piles I(Cabo de Palos)Bajo de Dentro(Cabo de Palos)La Calita(La Herradura)Marina del Este(La Herradura)Piedra del Hombre(La Herradura)

DendrophylliaDendrophyllia ramea5 photos

EndangeredUp to 50 cm20–60mRocky reefCave

A branching tree coral with golden-yellow to orange polyps on thick, woody branches. Found in deeper, dimly lit waters of the Mediterranean and eastern Atlantic.

Grows in deeper waters on rocky walls and overhangs — a slow-growing species increasingly rare due to trawling damage.

Observed at

Punta de la Mona(La Herradura)

Sunset cup coralLeptopsammia pruvoti2 photos

Up to 6 cm0–50m

Observed at

Dofí Nord(Illes Medes)

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