Maximum depth : 120ft

Description : A spectacular deep ocean reef dive that begins at 50ft and continues to 120ft with many undercut ledges covered with bright yellow polyps. Exceptional sea life including tunafish zooming by in high chase pursuit of their next meal. This site is also the home of a 4ft green turtle. Almost always you will see large ambarjack, parrot fish, trumpet and coronet fish, barracuda, trigger fish, sting rays, schools of surgeon fish, etc...An excellent dive for all levels.

THE WRECK OF THE SANTO ANTAO

Maximum depth : 40ft.

Description : The steel hulled freighter "Santo Antao" sunk on January 8, 1966, after it went aground on rocks close to shore. Its overall length is about 132ft and was still in "good" condition when the hull finally collapsed in a 1993 ocean storm. Large numbers of fish and other sea life have taken up residence in and around the wreck site (trigger-fish, porcupine fish, trumpet-fish, glass-eyes, moray eels, barracuda, soldier-fish, parrot fish, trunk fish and much more. This "unregistered wreck site" is a great training ground for both the novice wreck divers and the experienced diver who is up for an interesting and relaxing dive.

THE WRECK OF THE DEMFIOR

Maximum depth : 40ft.

Description : The "Demfior", a merchant ship of Danish registry, crashed on the rocks of the eastern coast of Sal Island just after World War II. The wreck is not well preserved. Its cargo of cocoa beans have long since disappeared. Two massive engines still stand erect as if waiting to start on command. Many varieties of fish feed in and around the site. A macro-photographers delight because of the numerous beautiful and colorful small sea creatures residing here. Large numbers of spiny lobster call the Demfior wreck "home".

BURACONA CAVE

Maximum depth : 75 ft (cave entry at 60 ft / overall lenght of cave 165 ft)

Description : Huge cave approximately 30 ft. in diameter. After leaving the deep blue waters near the cave entrance, divers slowly pass through the black night of the inner tube. Suddenly, the tube turns upward and we swim towards an eerie beem of light. As we begin to surface its as if we are swimming up to the top of a bottle of bubble-filled mineral water. The cave continues until it connects to the surface on the land in a great sun-lite, circular room. The "Sala do Sol" (the sun room) with its 30 ft. high ceiling and a natural hole formed in the volcanic rock formation is our resting place before an equally exciting tube exit. The Buracona coastal area is covered with unexplored caves and grottoes. Not advisable for claustrophobics ! (This area is ideal for a half day outing. Adjacent to the Buracona Cave is a natural swimming pool and picturesque massive lava flow coastal area. Perfect for an apres-dive picnic!)

SALAO AZUL - "THE BLUE ROOM"

Depth: 39 ft. - 135 ft (we dive to maximum of 100 ft.

A very interesting reef just 600 feet off shore. The dive site is a jagged wall with many holes and ledges. As we decend along the wall we see that each hole is inhabited by fish hovering just out of sight, waiting for his next meal to pass by. The deeper we dive the larger the fish get. First the grouper and moreys and finally the amber jack, barracuda and other pellagics. Tucked inside the ledges and holes we see the ceilings decorated with bright yellow polyps feeding during the daylight hours. The ocean at Salao Azul is generally clear, full of light and bright blue in color. A "first quality" dive, always teeming with life, big enough for a group to move around and usually bright enough to see even the "scorpion fish". (We often join this particular diving excursion with a half day picnic and tour program featuring a visit to the volcano of the Village of Pedra Lume and a chance for all to enjoy a "health bath" in its supersaturated salt pond!)

PALMEIRA / PISQUEIRO TI CULAO COAST

Depth is approximately 77 feet less than 40 feet from shore.

We have four dive sites along this rocky coast line immediately north of the Port of Palmeira on the West Coast of the island. Within a comparatively small stretch of 300 meters of coastline you can encounter numerous small caves and black basalt inlets. The area offers numerous 30-40 foot drop offs just off shore. Excellent shore diving. This little stretch of coast line is thought to be a "nursery" for many species of fish which move on to other areas farther off shore as they develop. You will see miniture parrot fish and trumpet fish. Spiny lobster abound in the rocky ledges at about 60 feet. Even when winter winds on the south and east coast make for rough conditions this area is gererally divable.

rayalmeida@post.harvard.edu Washington, DC, USA 02740         (202) 488-1993

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