Ilhéu da Gaivota

On the south coast of Graciosa, Ilhéu da Gaivota offers a peaceful dive in sheltered waters with shallow depths. It’s the perfect choice for days when the sea closes off other dive sites on the island and works wonderfully for baptisms, night dives, and snorkelling. You can reach it by boat in about 25 minutes from Santa Cruz da Graciosa port, or in 15 minutes from Praia port. Since the current is usually weak, it’s a location suitable for divers of any level.

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The islet is small and sits just opposite the bathing area of the Carapacho thermal springs, about 50 metres from shore. The dive starts along a wall of the islet and descends to the sandy bottom at 14 metres. This wall is full of crevices and nooks where moray eels, octopuses (Octopus vulgaris), damselfish (Chromis limbata), groupers (Serranus atricauda), and schools of salema (Sarpa salpa) take shelter, along with other species common in Azores waters.

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At the end of the wall, around 14 metres, eagle rays (Myliobatis aquila) are frequently seen resting on the sand, a bottom that serves as their resting place. In the water column, large schools of triggerfishes (Balistes capriscus) pass by, and from time to time, greater amberjacks (Seriola rivoliana) appear.