World dive sites

Cape Verde Diving

Land Temperature:
Arid, desert like climate with cooling ocean currents. Typical is 24-30 °C. Rainy season is August to October, September is the wettest month. April and July are the warmest months.

Water Temperature:
24-26°C

When to go:
Diving is all year round. April to November has the least wind and the best visibility (except September when vis drops). Manta Rays and sharks visit between July and November.

Wetsuit required:
5mm

Visibility:
Up to 40m from April to November. Visibility can drop in September.

Diving types:
Reefs, drop offs, lava rocks, caverns, caves, walls, wrecks.

Experience Level:
All levels. There are easy shallow dives close to shore plus more technical deep, wreck nad cave dives.

Marine life:
Sharks, manta rays, reef fish, crabs, lobster, moray eels and turtles. Occasional whale shark sightings. Spanish Galleon wrecks plus a cruise liner called the Cecile. Dolphins and whales often seen from the boat.

After diving:
Site seeing, hiking, horse riding, kitesurfing, windsurfing, shopping, sunbathing.

Cape Verde Dive Sites

Dive Sites around Sal

There are over 30 dive sites around Ilha do Sal ranging from very shallow to extremely deep. Most dive sites are dived in half day trip by RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) although shore dives are also available. Most dive centres are based in Santa Maria.

Tchuklasta: Located 4km off shore. Starting at a depth of 14m and dropping down to around 40m this deep dive site is good for pelagic fish encounters such as tuna, marlin. Barracuda can be seen in huge schools. Reef sharks and green turtles are common. Manta rays and whale sharks also visit here. Reef fish include schools of yellow tail snapper, grouper, triggerfish and trumpet fish. In rocky crevices look for moray eels, lobster and shrimp. Currents can be strong here at times.

Buracona CaveBuracona/ Regona: Favourite Cape Verde dive sites. A series of interconnected caverns and tunnels that open out to the sea at 22m deep. The underwater cave scenery is stunning as light streams through into the black basalt cavern. Divers can ascend up a vertical volcanic rock tunnel and surface into the sunshine of the “Sala do Sol” (the sun room) before exiting back down the tunnel. Nurse sharks can often be found resting in the caverns. Crabs, lobster and shrimps are numerous on the cavern walls.

Lighthouse Point (Ponta Do Farol): A wall dive with a cave at the maximum depth of 45m. Large schools of fish including snapper and surgeonfish plus barracuda and jacks. Crustaceans inhabit the wall.

Cavala: A deep wall dive that starts at 29m and drops off to 65m deep. A great pelagic fish dive site. Tuna, trevally, mackeral and barracuda are all common. Reef fish includes trigger fish, soldierfish and parrotfish. Currents can be strong here.

3 Caves: aka Tres Grotes is a shallow dive suitable for all levels of diver. Maximum depth is 18m and currents are minimal. There are three caves which can be entered. Lobster inhabit the cave as do a myriad of reef fish. Turtles are often seen here. This is also a popular night dive location.

S. Antao Wreck: With a maximum depth of just 12m this wreck is good for training dives and stingray sightings. The wreck was a steel hulled cargo ship that sank on 8 January 1966. It was 45m long has been broken up by storms and corrosion. It is now covered in marine life including porcupine fish, trigger fish, parrotfish, cornet fish, surgeonfish and barracuda to name a few.

Demfior Wreck: was a Danish cargo ship that sank just after World War II. It sits in 13m of water and is very broken up. It is home to many species of small fish and crustaceans.

Salao Azul (Blue Room): Located just 180m from shore this dive is full of marine life. It starts 12m below the surface and drops down to 40m. Sponge and coral covers rocks and schools of snapper, surgeofish and solderfish can be seen. Grouper and trumpet fish are also present. Moray eels can be found poking out of the wall. Scorpionfish are camouflaged on the reef.

Palmeira Coast: North of the Port of Palmeira, the stretch of coast is is great for easy shore dives. Swim just 10m off shore to see numerous schools of small fish, many of them juveniles. Average depth is 25m.

Farol: A good site for schools of various tropical fish.

Pontinha: A vertical wall dive where small critters cover the lava rock wall. Morays eels are numerous.

Diving around Sao Vicente Island is possible from the shore at the Hotel Foya Branca beach.

Diving around Boa Vista Island is possible from Estoril Beach off the shore or by RIB. Off the northern coast big schools of pelagics can be seen including tuna and barracuda.

Dive Sites around Santiago

Baixa de Janea: Located two hours boat ride from Santiago island this is the best dive site for shark sightings and also for the chance to see Manta Rays. Large schools of fish and other pelagic species are numerous. The rocks descend down past 100m and currents can be strong at times so this is not a dive site for inexperienced divers.

Chinese Wall: A wall dive down to 18m at the edge of Tarrafal bay. This is a dive site for small fish and crustaceans. Good eye sight is needed to spot scorpionfisn, frogfish, anglerfish, stonefish, crabs, and octopus. Moray eels are also present. A torch is useful to see into crevices and a close up lens is the best option for photographers.

Punta Atum: A rocky reef sloping down to a maximum of 25m. There are caves here with easy access. Yellow coral polyps open up in a brilliant display of colour on night dives when lobsters are numerous. Atum Rock, a short swim out from Punta Atum is a congregation point for huge schools of fish and pelagics such as tuna, mackeral and barracuda. Maximum depth is 35m.

The Lighthouse: A sloping rocky reef with schools of snapper, soldierfish and parrotfish. Also look for trigger fish, porcupine fish and large trumpet fish. Morays are common. Maximum depth of 25m.

Three Rocks: Several dive sites in one area. Strong currents attract big pelagics who hunt here for smaller prey. Maximum depth is 40m making this site unsuitable for beginners. Visibility is normally good here.

LeArc (The Arch) and the Walls: There are several dive sites close together here. A popular day and night dive location, Le Arc is a drop off down to 25m. Large schools of West African Tang are always present. Crustaceans cover the wall. Slipper lobster can be seen. Sea slugs and cowries are also present. Morays poke their heads from coral crevices. Further along for Le Arc the Wall One and the Wall Two dive sites drop down to 35m. Visibility is normally good and pelagic species can be seen hunting.

Deep Blue: A shore dive with a tricky entry over rocks, this is a 40m drop off where currents can be strong. Schools of reef fish plus pelagic species are common.

Old Anchor: Another shore dive from the small beach at Cidade Velha. Maximum depth 20m. The interesting aspects of this dive is looking at all the old ships anchors here. Dive centres often combine a trip here with a tour of the old capital.