Scuba Diving in Salvador

Salvador has roughly islands and boasts Brazil’s largest bay. The city is symbolized by its beautiful beaches and the catchy rhythms of its music.

You will still find the wreckage of sunkenships, the aftermath of battles fought centuries ago. Bottles, cannon, Chinese porcelain, Portuguese faience, these and other historical items have been brought up from the shipwrecks. Salvador is bathed by the Brazil Current, wich brings in ocean waters and ensures great visibility.

From november to march the average temperature is 26 degrees centigrade. However, diver should beware of possible currents.

On dry land there is a history lesson on every street corner: Salvador was the first capital of Brazil, and dates back to 1554, when Thomé de Souza came to the then Vila do Porto da Barra.

Salvador’s historical center is today recognized as Latin America’s most important concentration of colonial architecture. The Pelourinho neighborhood, the center of local cultural life, contrasts with the city’s major town planning projects.

Guarajuba
Guarajuba Beach has some excellent spots for scuba diving. The seabed is made up of rocks and corals, sheltering large fish such as Mackerel, Greater Amberjack, and Groupers. Rays can be seen. The beach is famous for having the region’s clearest waters.

Salvador
This shipwreck allows you to observe the lush sea life swarming among what remains of the metal structure. The Salvador, a paddle steamer, lies off Juá beach.

Galeão Sacramento
This flagship foundered on the Santo Antônio Bank and sank in 1668. Divers can still find many cannons and anchors in its wreckage. The place is also a great nursey for fishes, lobsters and molusks.

Cavo Artemidi
Divers see this wreck as a kind of sanctuary: the ship is 160 meters long and is undoubtedly one of the largest wrecks in Brazilian waters. The Greek cargo ship foundered on the Santo Antônio Banks in 1980. The ship has become an enormous aquarium, sheltering large fishes such as Atlantic Goliath groupers, nurse sharks, rays, barracuda and mackerel.

Germânia
Early twenthieth-century German cargo vessel. This shipwreck is recommended for night diving and for free diving, and is acessible from the beach. Schools of doctor fish, Rio de la Plata one sided live bearers, and Yellowtail Amberjacks are commonly found, as well as lobsters, crabs and other mollusks.

Ho Mei III
A recently – shipwreck fishing vessel. The ship is now home to schools of red snappers, lane snappers, grunts, Spanish mackerel and spadefish. Visibility is ussualy around 15 meters. The ship is 30 meters long, without any superstructure.

Quebra – Mar
This is one of Salvador’s best options for sheltered diving. The rock wall is home to a multitude of corals, sponges and sea fans. Divers can easily view morays, batfish, seahorses, wrasse, surgeonfish, angelfish, Rock Beauty and French Angelfish.

Blackadder
This steel-built Norwegian coal transport vessel is 50 meters long, and lies close to the reef, listing to starboard. The bow is the best-preserved section, and divers can swim in and out of it. The wreckage has been colonized by a vast array of sponges, corals, fishes and other sea animal.

Source: Brazil Diving Guide

Diving point Paraiba

The state capital, João Pessoa, is less well know than its trendy sister cities of the northeast: Natal and Recife. But it does not leave anything to be desired. On the contrary. Midway between its famous neighbors, roughly an hour by car from each one, João Pessoa is the point of departure for the major diving spots of the region: beautiful reefs and must see shipwrecks. João Pessoa really  has many beautiful surprises.

Few people know that João Pessoa is Brazil’s leafiest capital city. It is also the safest of the Northeast ant the only one where there are no skyscrapers on the coastal avenues – a strict municipal code limits the height of buildings to three floors. And thre’s more: the first sunrays of the Americas fall here, since the city lies at the eastern most point of the continent, Ponta dos Seixas – wich means visitors have to get up early. Not a problem.

There is so much to see and enjoy on the Paraíba coast: urban or deserted beaches, with powder white sand and coonut palms and cliffs of unique beauty, restaurants with excellent traditional cuisine, a wealth of handicrafts and historic attractions. That is, if one doesn’t spend every walking minute underwater.

Pedra de Baixo

The sandstone reef, covered by algae and corals, is know for its large sponges and starfish. Sharks, goliath groupers and others groupers hide in their small holes. Visibility ranges from 15 to 30 meters, during the summer. It is sough out mainly by novive divers seeking greater depths.

Erie (or Queimado)

The most popular shipwreck on the Paraíba coast. This two-thousand ton American ship sank after catching fire, in 1873, and today is found completely broken-up. The wreckage is spread over 100 meters of sand. A large patially buried propeller lies in the sand and many schools of small fish are the main attractions. Average visibility ranges from 20 to 30 meters.

Alvarenga

Intact and uprigth, the small shipping barge is a beatiful shipwreck when viewed from a certain distance. When desceding, you can see the entire outline of Alvarenga, 20 meters in length, 5 meters in width and simple in structure. It is possible to pass through the compartments from bow to stern. And there is lots of life inside there. Nurse sharks, schools of spadefish, lobsters and green eels are commonly seen. The shallow depth, clear water and white sands give the location a peaceful feel.

Alice

This 53 meter steamship sank in 1911. The iron hull is in pieces. The bow is listing to port, with the highest point at a depth of 7.5 meters. A large anchor remains linked to the ship by a thick chain. Up toward the bow, one can see the round boilers and parts of the steam engine. The aft part of the hull is in an upright position and the bow still maintains part of its original shape. Many moray eels, octopuses, small lobsters and large schools of grunts are often seen above the wreckage. And excellent spot begginners.

Cabeço dos Cangulos

On the flat seabed of the continental shelf, there are formations of small mounds and limestone algae and outgrowths of large sponges. Each with its own special microfauna, made up of small shrimp, crabs, octopuses, eels and small fish. The name of the spot comes from the large number of triggerfish species, listed as threatened with extinction.

Sapatas

This is a new diving site, a small natural reff against a seabed of light colored sand and grave. It is composed of various elongated mounds spread over the ocean floor, on wich grow macroalgae, corals, sponges and other organisms. Schools of fish frequent the area and surround divers.

Canyon

As the name suggest, it is a trench in the continental shelf probably formed by a river that emptied there eons ago. The shallowest part is 36 meters from the surface and the trench extends for 56 meters. High rockly walls separate the flat surface of the shelf from the steep slope of the canyon. Various shapes and colors of sponges almost completely cover the ocean floor.

Source: Brazil Diving Guide

Diving sites – Rio Grande do Norte

Know as the “Land of the sun”, Rio Grande do Norte basks in up to 15 hours a day of sunshine and summer last year-round.

The beaches feature with sands, dunes and coconut trees. And the reefs form beatiful natural pools. This combination has made it one of the most popular destinations in Brazil among foreigners. Whereas divers – even brazilian divers – are still discovering the region. But those have been there know: the Rio Grande do Norte coastline is one of the best places in the country for diving and has the potential of rapidly becoming one of the most popular destinations in Brazil.

The waters are warm and clear, and rich in marine life. The reefs have exotic formations and the shipwrecks are covered in sponges and multicolored corals.

Comandante Pessoa

The shipwreck is a stomping ground of the southern stingray. They can be found in every nook and cranny. The number of tubular yellow sponges is also impressive. Schools of small fingerlings, anchovies and great barracudas are always present. The ship, wich sank to the ocean floor in 1954 after colliding with the Risca do Zumbi, is completely twisted and part of the broadside rises 12 m above the seabed. The stern is listing, but it is possible to enter its hold. A large rudder rises from the ship toward the surface. The bow is still intact, though slightly listining, with the anchor in its hawse.

Risca do Zumbi

One of the best diving sites in Brazil. The shelf is flat and smooth, supported by hundreds of Greek acropolis style columns – there are those who say they are the ruins of Atlantis.
The pillar form a real labyrinth, witn some narrow passages where snags and tight spots require special attention, especially when currents are strong. A large hall of white sand provides passage from one side to the other. Surrounding the main formation, there are other smaller ones. The marine life is another show altogether. Corals, sponges and an infinite variety of tropical fish make diving a colorful experience.

São Luiz

Despite its deteriorated condition and lack of entry points, the transparency of the water and the itensity of the marine life rank it among the most beautiful shipwrecks of Brazil. The cargo ship sank in 1911. Part of its broadside has collapsed to form a long tunel, one of its major attractions. The seafloor is made up of pearl white sand, wich helps illuminate the environment. Yellow tubular spongesadorn the wreckage, wich serves as habitat for lobsters, eels, spotted eagle rays and barracudas.

Parrachos de Maracajaú

One of the prime tourist locations of Rio Grande do Norte. There are kilometers of knolls that lie 4 miles off the coast of Maracajaú, protected by extensive coral reefs, wich from above could be confused with the Great Barrier Reffs of Australian. At low tide, visibility rises to more than 20 meters, which makes it one of the best spots for snorkeling along the Brazilian coast. All one has to do is fall in the water to be surrounded by schools of sergeant majors and other tropical fish. The location is also perfect for discovery scuba and check-out dives.

Batente das Agulhas

On a submerged shelf, hundreds of 2.5 meter high columns – the needles – support corals and yellow tubular sponges. Geologists believe that they are petrified tree trunks, but there is no consensus on the matter. Beneath the shelf, there are tunnels and many burrows. The mounds are surrounded by schools of barracudas, and many French angelfish, eels, rays and lobsters.

Source: Brazil Diving Guide

Spinner Dolphin in Fernando de Noronha

The spinner dolphin is an animal that wins the sympathy of human beings because of their intelligence. Running out of water jumps and beautiful when they are present in flock her show to those lucky enough to catch sight of them.

The archipelago of Fernando de Noronha (PE-Brazil) is one of the main habitats of animals, so that the island is the Spinner Dolphin Project whose goals are: 

 -Educate the community Noronhense for environmental preservation, creating environmental multipliers among future tourism service providers; 
-Empower teens to work with ecotourism; 
-Provide subsidies for the development of a sustainable society in Fernando de Noronha; 
-Improve the quality of tourism services in the region; 
-To study the natural history of dolphins in Fernando de Noronha; 
-To study the interaction with dolphins nautical tourism; 
-Propose standards for the preservation of spinner dolphins to the competent authorities; 
-Propose and participate in actions aimed at conservation of Fernando de Noronha.

The Belvedere Dolphin is the perfect place to spot the animals. The route is a trail of 1 km from the parking lot of the Bay of Sancho. The continuation of the trail Dolphin Bay Sancho, allows the observation of nesting seabirds on the slopes of the bays.

If you are planning to go to Fernando de Noronha, make sure you know the project. For more information contact by e-mail: rotador@golfinhorotador.org.br 

Photo: Wikpedia

By Carla Layane

Whales and dolphins in São Paulo

Sighting dolphins and whales, live with caiçara communities and experience the rich marine life off the coast of São Paulo (Brazil) are some of the attractions for those who venture into the scripts of the dive.

In a joint initiative between fishermen, dive associations and the State Department of Environment, have been mapped about 80 points – divided into eight routes – where you can perform the activity. The project goal is to make the people know the marine life and go to save it.

Located in areas of environmental preservation, the scripts include islands in the region of Ubatuba, Ilhabela, São Sebastião, Santos and Itanhaém. In all of them, you can find companies dive operators.

See more in Portal Mergulho Brazil!!!

Photo: Wikpedia

By Carla Layane

Dive sites in Brazil

The best dive site is the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. It’s the most untouched spot, and it’s simply gorgeous on the surface, appealing to everyone. The difficulty ranges from beginner to advance. Best time of the year is from July to December for beginners, all year round for advanced divers. It’s one of the most expensive dive sites to go.

The second best is Abrolhos. It’s an archipelago some four to six hours from land, where you can’t go on shore, so either you make one-day trips or take a live-aboard on one of several boats. The dives are very, very calm, shallow and relaxed, and though the visibility is not as good as Noronha, but the richness of the corals and marine life is incredible. It’s good for all levels of experience. Best time of the year is November to March, when it is also possible to watch whales.

The region between Recife/Olinda in the north and Maceio in the south is named the Golden Coast, and here are several excellent spots of scuba diving and the access is much easier than mentioned archipelagos. Around Recife & Olinda is considered excellent for advanced divers, rich of marine life like turtles and sharks, and many sunk ships, but the sea is usually very, very rough. To the south there are many dive friendly spots for snorkeling, scuba dive beginners and also advanced diving. In Porto de Galinhas for instance, is a very pleasant village with many nice sites for good diving and an excellent area for diving courses. In this region the diving is good during the whole year.

The best spots for scuba diving in the south of Brazil are between São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro. Of course they are not as good as mentioned sites in the northeast, but comparing world wide, this region is very good as well. To indicate some spots in the area should be Barra do Una, Ubatuba, Paraty, Ilha Grande and Arraial do Cabo.

Rio da Prata, in Bonito

The best dive site is the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha. It’s the most untouched spot, and it’s simply gorgeous on the surface, appealing to everyone. The difficulty ranges from beginner to advance. Best time of the year is from July to December for beginners, all year round for advanced divers. It’s one of the most expensive dive sites to go.

The second best is Abrolhos. It’s an archipelago some four to six hours from land, where you can’t go on shore, so either you make one-day trips or take a live-aboard on one of several boats.

The dives are very, very calm, shallow and relaxed, and though the visibility is not as good as Noronha, but the richness of the corals and marine life is incredible.

It’s good for all levels of experience. Best time of the year is November to March, when it is also possible to watch whales.

The region between Recife/Olinda in the north and Maceio in the south is named the Golden Coast, and here are several excellent spots of scuba diving and the access is much easier than mentioned archipelagos.

Around Recife & Olinda is considered excellent for advanced divers, rich of marine life like turtles and sharks, and many sunk ships, but the sea is usually very, very rough. To the south there are many dive friendly spots for snorkeling, scuba dive beginners and also advanced diving.

In Porto de Galinhas for instance, is a very pleasant village with many nice sites for good diving and an excellent area for diving courses. In this region the diving is good during the whole year.

The best spots for scuba diving in the south of Brazil are between São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro. Of course they are not as good as mentioned sites in the northeast, but comparing world wide, this region is very good as well.

To indicate some spots in the area should be Barra do Una, Ubatuba, Paraty, Ilha Grande and Arraial do Cabo.

Source: packtours

Picture: Andre Seale

Diving in the Arvoredo’s Archipelago

The Marine Biological Reserve of Woodland, north of the island of Santa Catarina, is the point most coveted southern coast of Brazil.

Since it was reopened to visitors in 1997, after seven long years of prohibition, the Fed gives the woods a show of diversity and preservation. Parade in the waters catarinenses rare corals, sponges, zoanthids, seahorses, brothers, butterflies, fish, barracuda, lobsters, turtles, fish-trobetas, stingrays, ciliaris, crabs, jellyfish, Salem, whiting, marimbaus, grouper, fish, bat.

Formed by the islands of the woods, Wales, and Desert Pebble St. Peter’s, the site is one of the only marine biological reserves in Brazil and has a beautiful area covered by tropical forest vegetation.

Is sought for diving by great biodiversity and the presence of rare species to extinction as sea turtles, yellow sponges, gorgonians, or even the stingray and dogfish. In the region there are several diving schools that offer diving with a complete security and professionalism to provide an unforgettable experience.

Photo: Clicrbs

Source: Clilcrbs

Diving Guarapari

Located 60 km from Victoria in Brazil, Guaraparai has a coastline of beautiful bays framed by mountains and a tourist infrastructure of first line. The city has several categories of hotels and restaurants with the most varied culinary styles, from the famous fish stew capixaba to international cuisine.

Guarapari is considered one of the most beautiful beaches of the Espirito Santo and has a very big focus for activities that have an involvement with nature, sports like sailing, trekking, paragliding, rafting and especially scuba diving.

The region presents a complex that island for their location and variety of ecosystems concentrated flora and fauna representative of the coastal reefs of Espirito Santo.

The position of the islands of Guarapari inserted in a biogeographical transition region, resulting in the presence of a set of species characteristic of tropical and subtropical regions, generating a highly diverse fauna. The proximity of the continental shelf and the phenomenon of upwelling (movement of deep water to shallow regions), support through the replacement of nutrients.

DIVE INFORMATION

- Best time to dive: The best season for diving is from December to April, however, dive on the islands, reefs and wrecks is possible throughout the year,
- Average temperature (water): 22 º C
- Visibility average: 15 – 25 meters
- Average Depth: 10 – 30 meters
- Level of certification indicated: Basic / Advanced
- Diving board or shore: Embedded
- Average time navigation: 30 – 45 minutes (depending on the point)
- Peculiarities of the dive: The dives made in Guarapaí are ideal for all levels of certification. With a wide variety of points, you can dive on wrecks and reefs and observe a wide variety of marine life.
- Equipment and services available: You can rent equipment locally at the international level.

Source: Freeway

Maracajau Snorkeling

Photo: Way to Go Brazil

Maracajaú is located about 50km from Natal (Brazil), and it takes one hour to go there. This region is considered to be the best area for snorkeling and diving, near Natal.

There is a big area of reefs named Parrachos de Maracajaú (7km from the coast), an area of 13km2, with a deep varying between 1,8m and 3,2m, during low tide. The water temperature is in average 26°C, and the development of corals contribute to a rich marine fauna and flora, turning the region to an enormous, natural aquarium.

This scenery is idealistic of practicing Snorkeling and also Scuba Diving for beginners. Also more experienced scuba divers can enjoy the region’s very pleasant diving, with reference to the rich marine life, and the waters temperature and visibility.

The Snorkeling kit  includes: Diving flippers, Mask & Snorkel, and boat transfer from the coast to Parrachos de Maracajaú (takes 10min one way), where it is a small platform/base station – effective time for snorkeling 2 hours.

The Scuba Diving kit includes: Diving equipment – Cylinder/Oxygen, Regulator, Vest & Ballast, Diving flippers, Mask & Snorkel, and boat transfer from the coast to Parrachos de Maracajaú (takes 10min one way), where it is a small platform/base station – effective time for diving 40min.  

Source: PackTours

Scuba Diving in Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Arraial do Cabo Marine Reserve is considered the best scuba diving on the southern coast of Brazil.

Located 2 hours by car from Rio de Janeiro, Arraial do Cabo is part of the Costa do Sol (Sunny Coast), which also includes Búzios and Cabo Frio.

The turquoise water of Arraial do Cabo is teeming with marine life – turtles, sea horses, moray eels, colorful coral and some exotic tropical fish like the famous Holacanthus Ciliaris (Queen Angelfish).

Source: Rio Turismo Radical