Divers find human bones off Spanish coast used in a 'voodoo-like religious ritual'

'We were doing a course in the area of Roca Plana, behind the rock, and saw basically what I thought was a garbage bag,' says local diver

The coastal village of Calpe near Alicante in Eastern Spain (Reuters)

Scuba divers have found human bones and items used in a "Caribbean religious ritual" just off the coast of Spain.

Hoping to discover sea life, divers from the local dive centre in Calpe in eastern Spain instead found a human skeleton and religious items wrapped in a sheet.

A second package was also found containing more human bones and ritualistic tokens.

Alongside the bones they found items used in Santeria, a voodoo-like religion from Cuba that fuses Christianity and West African cult practices.

Cristian, an instructor from Les Basetes diving centre, told El Pais: "We were doing a course in the area of Roca Plana, behind the rock, and saw basically what I thought was a garbage bag.

"I went down for it and as I approached I saw as a knotted sheet. I opened [it] a little and I saw a doll. I went up, I gave [it to] the boss and continued diving."

Forensic examination of the bones found the skeleton had been buried in earth from 30 to 40 years before being dug up and thrown recently into the sea.

Among the items discovered, police identified dolls, bowls, feathers, twigs, leaves with names scratched on them.

The Guardia Civil are investigating whether the skeleton may have been recently removed from a cemetery and used in a Santeria ritual, the Local reports.

The packages were found near the Peñon de Ifach, a huge rock at the end of Calpe, which is a popular site for scattering of ashes.