Diving In The Azores: Everything You Need To Know
The Azores islands may be beautiful above sea level, with 9 islands full of luscious greenery, colorful flowers, and the snow-capped Mount Pico, but it's what's under the water that really sets the Azores islands apart. Alongside whale and dolphin watching, with its enticing crystal clear waters and ample sea life, diving in the Azores is one of the most popular activities.
Where Are The Azores?
With an abundance of sea life usually found in tropical countries, you might think The Azores could be found in the Indian Ocean, but no. The Azores islands sit in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, between Portugal and America, and are owned by Portugal. Portuguese is the language spoken throughout these 9 islands.
When Is The Best Time For Diving In The Azores?
The best time for diving in the Azores is between June and October. During this time, the ocean is warmer, the visibility is clearer, even up to 90 feet, and there's more chance of spotting some of the most exciting sea creatures, such as blue sharks. Whilst it's certainly not bubble bath temperature, during the summer the sea temperature can get up to around 23°C.
If you want to have the dive sites to yourself, consider visiting between September (which has the best visibility) and October, when the ocean is still teaming with sea life, but the crowds are fewer.
The whale watching season and the diving season line up well, as April to October is whale watching season, with the peak time to spot these humongous friends being the earlier spring months.
When it comes to diving, April and May are not good months to be under the sea, as visibility can be as poor as just 10 meters, and it's also jellyfish season. Luckily, sperm whales can be spotted year-round, so you don't need to worry too much about missing out on one or the other.
Other whales are seen at different times of the year- blue whales between March and May, and humpback in October.
What Can You See?
The waters off the coast of the Azores islands are brimming with life. In terms of fish, you'll be able to spot skipjack and big eye tuna, yellowmouth barracuda, krill, wahoo, sunfish, Atlantic bonito, amberjacks, plankton, and white trevallies.
Just because there's no coral decorating the ocean floor doesn't mean it's devoid of life. If you look closely, you'll find hermit crabs, unicorn shrimp, octopus, moray eels, and nudibranchs. Between the months of March and May, jellyfish can also be spotted, including the man-of-war species, which can disrupt diving.
We know, we've saved the big guys till last. Sea turtles can be seen as well as Mobula and manta rays, mako sharks, blue sharks, and later in the season, whale sharks. If you really hit the jackpot, you might catch a sighting of a smooth hammerhead shark.
Whale and dolphin watching is best done from the surface, and the creatures that call the Azores islands home year-round are common dolphins, bottle nose dolphins, and sperm whales. Blue whales can also be spotted, however, they are migratory, and are usually seen in the Azores between March and May.
Which Azores Island Is Best For Diving?
All of the islands are fantastic for scuba diving, but when deciding which one to stay on for a scuba diving trip, it’s important to give it a little thought as the islands are extremely far apart, as much as 585 miles. The island that stands out is Pico Island, and the reason for this is due to the fact it is based on a volcano, Mount Pico. Because of this, the island is a steep slope that continues underwater, meaning the water gets deep very close to the island. Deep waters are where sea creatures are often abundant, and that's the case here too, with divers close to the island being able to spot all kinds of marine life.
Best Spots For Diving In The Azores
Between the 9 islands, there are over 100 dive sites, which makes it impossible for sealife enthusiasts to get bored. Here are 3 of the best sites for diving in the Azores.
Princess Alice Bank, Pico
The Princess Alice Bank dive site is located between the islands of Pico and Faial and takes around 2.5 hours to access from Pico Island. The site itself is a submerged seamount that was discovered in 1896. It is the most renowned of all the dive sites in The Azores due to the large groups of inquisitive Mobula rays that inhabit the area and approach divers with curiosity. When we say large groups, we really mean it- you can see hundreds of these rays at once, dancing around the seamount in a mesmerizing fashion. Believe it or not, the rays may even come to play with you during your dive.
Other creatures that might not be as friendly as the Mobula rays, but are just as awe-inducing are blue sharks, whale sharks, and manta rays, as well as colossal schools of fish such as barracuda, jacks, and tuna.
It's not just the dive itself that's fascinating, the boat ride to the dive site is an adventure in itself, with up to 20 different species of dolphins and whales to spot, including sperm whales.
Baixa do Ambrósio, Santa Maria
If Princess Alice is the most famed dive spot in the Azores, Ambrósio comes a close second. The site is easy to get to, just 3 miles off the coast of the island of Santa Maria. Don't be put off by the strong currents often found here, the site is suitable for less experienced divers, due to the low depth of the marine life. Those who are less experienced may choose to stay on the rope, up to 15m where you can see massive schools of fish, as well as dozens of devil and manta rays at a time. For those who are more experienced and are itching to see more, the sea bed is 50m deep, and if you're adventurous enough to head down there, you'll be rewarded with sightings of stingrays, as well as shoals of amberjacks, bluefish, and red scorpionfish.
As well as diving, this site is suitable for snorkelers.
Formigas and Dollabarat, Sao Miguel
2 hours off the coast of Sao Miguel, the Formigas and Dollabarat dive sites can be found. The site is for intermediate and experienced divers due to tough weather conditions and strong currents. The 2 dive sites are in such close proximity, that you can usually explore both of them in one day. From just 5m down, you can see colorful sea life buzzing around the seamount, but if you want to see the best these sites have to offer, head down to around 30m deep where you'll see devil rays, as well as barred hogfish, large dusky groupers, skipjack tuna, and white trevallies. There are plenty more species to be found down here too.
If you're especially lucky, you might see a rare smooth hammerhead or Galapagos shark, or even giant manta rays which weigh up to 1600 kg and have a wingspan of up to 29 feet.
Due to its distance from the islands, once again, the boat ride is part of the experience and you can expect to see whales, dolphins, and turtles along the way.
Final Thoughts
Dubbed the Hawaii of Europe, and for good reason, diving in The Azores is some of the best across the continent. With over 3,000 species of sea life to look out for, you'd have to be extremely unlucky to not see anything of interest while at one of these dive sites. Share your finds under the water with others who love diving too, and swap stories of your most incredible experience. Find out more about our female travelers community here.