NORTH ATLANTIC
Azores · Pico & Offshore Banks
- Portugal
- Experienced
- July - October
Plan your dive
- Experience level
- Experienced
- Depth guide
- Coastal reefs and open water
- When to go
- July - October
- Site type
- Atlantic Pelagics
Featured wildlife
- Sicklefin devil ray
- Blue shark
- Dusky grouper
- Oceanic manta ray
About this dive site
Atlantic volcanic diving with offshore mobula and blue-shark trips.
Pico Island stacks volcanic coastline against the deep Atlantic-lava arches, walls and reef patches in the Faial-Pico channel suit everyday boat dives. Separate full-day boats run to Princess Alice Bank for mobulas and to offshore grounds for blue sharks when skippers approve the forecast.
Princess Alice sits on the Azores plateau edge-bluer water, more current and a different cast from the island reefs. Blue-shark days are usually dedicated pelagic drifts, not the same dive as a coastal arch tour. Even if mobulas or sharks are your goal, book at least one local reef day; grouper, rays and Atlantic fish show best on the volcanic rock in the channel.