Sao Miguel is the largest island of the Azores, providing great diversity and variety of dive sites. On one hand we can find pinnacles receiving powerful currents as «Lourenços» where you can dive with mobulas during summer and other pelagic fish like carangidae or barracudas. On the other hand you can dive in rocky formations or caves like «Panela», near the south coast of the island, formed by large boulders that have created caves ideal for typical marine life Azores: bream sea fish, octopus, moray eels, damselfish, groupers or anthias. In «Baixas das Castanhetas» south of the island, you can dive in an impressive panorama of lava formations and lots of caves that shelter beautiful wildlife: crustaceans, groupers, nudibranchs and some pelagic schools of fish take refuge in this safe environment. From this point you can access to one of the most popular vertical walls in this island, which leads to a depth of 45 meters, where it is possible to see mobulas on their migration routes around Azores.
One of the greatest dives in Sao Miguel is the wreck «Dori». This ship took part in the Normandy invasion during World War II, and sunk in 1964 in the south of the island. This freighter lies between 9 and 21 meters on a sandy plateau and is perfectly preserved, both interior and the hull, due to its category of underwater archaeological park.
«Âncoras do Ilhéu» is also a great example of the importance of this island in the naval history of Portugal. At this dive spot, 40 meters long and in shallow waters, you’ll find 8 large anchors forming a curious scenario: rays, groupers and comb groupers live in the shelter of the anchors.
