Ocean Atlas · Europe and Mediterranean
France
Mediterranean freediving heritage, protected reefs where groupers are recovering, and Corsican island diving.
Ethics pass, open for travel. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard. Checked by Ocean Calling on 5 Oct 2026. Sources: Proteger les mammiferes marins en Mediterranee, Prefecture maritime de la Mediterranee, 2024; Arrete de protection des mammiferes marins, Groupe de Recherche sur les Cetaces; Le parc Marineland d'Antibes ferme definitivement, Fondation 30 Millions d'Amis, 2025.
🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The UK FCDO travel advice for France warns of a high risk of wildfires during the summer season from April to October. Sources: UK FCDO travel advice, France Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.
Why France
France offers Mediterranean freediving and diving on the mainland coast and in Corsica. Villefranche-sur-Mer, near Nice, is a freediving hub with strong heritage, and Marseille, the Calanques and Cassis have wrecks and gorgonian reefs. Port-Cros, Porquerolles and Hyères show real recovery in a protected area. In Corsica, Ajaccio and the Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and Lavezzi Islands add deep, clear water, groupers, barracuda and red gorgonians. May-June and September-October are less hot and busy.
Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.
When to go
May-Oct. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.
We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.
Can we travel here ethically?
Ethics pass
Meets the Ocean Calling standard.
In French Mediterranean waters, boats and swimmers must keep at least 100 m from marine mammals, and the Pelagos Sanctuary protects them offshore. We dive and freedive on protected reefs, never touch the groupers, and watch dolphins only from a distance.
Checked 5 Oct 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.
Where in France
Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.
Ajaccio and the Gulf of Ajaccio
ExploringDeep, clear Mediterranean water for freediving and scuba, with groupers, barracuda and red gorgonians.
🤿 In the water: Brown groupers, Barracuda, Moray eels, Red gorgonians, Coralligenous reef life
⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Cetaceans offshore (possible)
When: May-Oct. Freediving and scuba run through the warm season. May-June and September-October are less hot and busy.
Bonifacio, Porto-Vecchio and the Lavezzi Islands
ExploringProtected island reefs in southern Corsica, with groupers and barracuda, plus Corsican food and landscapes.
🤿 In the water: Brown groupers, Barracuda, Moray eels, Nudibranchs, Protected reef life
⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Cetaceans offshore
When: May-Oct. Diving runs spring to autumn. May-June and September-October are less hot and less busy.
Marseille, the Calanques and Cassis
ExploringRich diving history, many wrecks and gorgonian reefs along the Calanques coast.
🤿 In the water: Groupers, Octopus, Barracuda, Gorgonians, Posidonia seagrass
⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Cetaceans (occasional)
When: Apr-Nov. Diving runs April to November. May-June and September-October avoid summer heat and crowds.
Port-Cros, Porquerolles and Hyères
ExploringA marine protected area where groupers and healthy Mediterranean habitats show real recovery.
🤿 In the water: Brown groupers, Corb, Moray eels, Barracuda, Posidonia seagrass
When: May-Oct. Diving runs May to October. June and September to October are quieter.
Villefranche-sur-Mer and Nice
ExploringA freediving hub with a strong heritage, good depth access and an easy link to Nice.
🤿 In the water: Mediterranean reef fish, Octopus, Groupers, Barracuda
⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Cetaceans offshore (possible)
When: May-Sep. Freediving runs May to September. May-June and September are less crowded and hot.
Animals recorded in France
Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.
Sperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Portuguese man o' warPhysalia physalisSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasNot Evaluated
Common octopusOctopus vulgarisSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Basking sharkCetorhinus maximusSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasEndangered
Grey sealHalichoerus grypusSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Harbour porpoisePhocoena phocoenaSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Loggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Noble pen shell (fan mussel)Pinna nobilisSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
Mauve stinger jellyfishPelagia noctilucaSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasNot Evaluated
Green turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Blue whaleBalaenoptera musculusSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasEndangered
Ocean sunfish (mola)Mola molaSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Bronze whaler (copper shark)Carcharhinus brachyurusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Common minke whale (North Atlantic)Balaenoptera acutorostrataSeen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Long-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala melasSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Risso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Silvertip sharkCarcharhinus albimarginatusSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Striped dolphinStenella coeruleoalbaSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Cuvier's beaked whaleZiphius cavirostrisSeen in 42 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Fraser's dolphinLagenodelphis hoseiSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Kemp's ridley turtleLepidochelys kempiiSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
Rough-toothed dolphinSteno bredanensisSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Silky sharkCarcharhinus falciformisSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Galápagos sharkCarcharhinus galapagensisSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Dwarf sperm whaleKogia simaSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Sandbar sharkCarcharhinus plumbeusSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasEndangered
Spinetail devil rayMobula mobularSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
Lion's mane jellyfishCyanea capillataSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasNot Evaluated
Moon jellyfishAurelia aurita and other Aurelia speciesSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasNot Evaluated
Smooth hammerheadSphyrna zygaenaSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Pygmy sperm whaleKogia brevicepsSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Spiny dogfishSqualus acanthiasSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Atlantic white-sided dolphinLagenorhynchus acutusSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Brown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
SailfishIstiophorus platypterusSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Atlantic bluefin tunaThunnus thynnusSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Scarlet ibisEudocimus ruberSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast Concern
Red-footed boobySula sulaSeen in 91 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Red coralCorallium rubrumSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasNot Evaluated
Nomad jellyfishRhopilema nomadicaSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasNot Evaluated
Atlantic herringClupea harengusSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
White-tailed eagleHaliaeetus albicillaSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast Concern
Common smooth-houndMustelus mustelusSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasEndangered
American flamingoPhoenicopterus ruberSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast Concern
Ringed sealPusa hispidaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Hooded sealCystophora cristataSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasEndangered
Harp sealPagophilus groenlandicusSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
Bearded sealErignathus barbatusSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
Great cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Great frigatebirdFregata minorSeen in 44 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Wilson's storm-petrelOceanites oceanicusSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Northern gannetMorus bassanusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Scopoli's shearwaterCalonectris diomedeaSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Leach's storm-petrelHydrobates leucorhousSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Manx shearwaterPuffinus puffinusSeen in 34 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Great shearwaterArdenna gravisSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
European shagGulosus aristotelisSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Sargasso shearwater (Audubon's shearwater)Puffinus lherminieriSeen in 27 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Pygmy cormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeusSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Small-spotted catshark (lesser spotted dogfish)Scyliorhinus caniculaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Tope shark (school shark)Galeorhinus galeusSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
Northern fulmarFulmarus glacialisSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Yelkouan shearwaterPuffinus yelkouanSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Bluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
Marbled electric rayTorpedo marmorataSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Brown rayRaja miraletusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Common thresherAlopias vulpinusSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerableKitefin sharkDalatias lichaSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Velvet belly lanternsharkEtmopterus spinaxSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Thornback rayRaja clavataSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
NursehoundScyliorhinus stellarisSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Common torpedo (ocellate torpedo)Torpedo torpedoSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic torpedo (electric ray)Tetronarce nobilianaSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Common stingrayDasyatis pastinacaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Nazca boobySula grantiSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Common eagle rayMyliobatis aquilaSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
PorbeagleLamna nasusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasVulnerableLeafscale gulper sharkCentrophorus squamosusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangered
Pelagic stingrayPteroplatytrygon violaceaSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSpotted ray (homelyn ray)Raja montaguiSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Blonde rayRaja brachyuraSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedStarry smooth-houndMustelus asteriasSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBlue skateDipturus batisSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredBlackmouth catsharkGaleus melastomusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBirdbeak dogfishDeania calceaSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
Sowerby's beaked whaleMesoplodon bidensSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPortuguese dogfishCentroscymnus coelolepisSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedLongnosed skateDipturus oxyrinchusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Undulate rayRaja undulataSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedCuckoo rayLeucoraja naevusSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBroadnose skateBathyraja brachyuropsSeen in 7 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSmall-eyed rayRaja microocellataSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSandy rayLeucoraja circularisSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasVulnerableTell Rocío what you would love to see
There is no trip here yet. If enough people ask, it helps us decide where to go next.
Based in France?
We are always happy to hear from exceptional local operators, accommodation, conservation organisations and destination experts in France. If your work fits responsible, small-group ocean travel, we would love to learn more.
Partner with Ocean Calling7-day freediving course in Coron, Palawan
CHF 1,480
