Alcatrazes Archipelago · Brazil · Reef · Wall
Farol – Poita 16
The exposed mooring, with walls and boulders from 10 to 25 m
Area photo: Marcos Simanovic · CC BY-SA 3.0
Farol is mooring 16 in Portinho and, unlike the other scuba moorings, it is not sheltered from the wind. Rocky reef covered in algae and coral meets walls and large boulders between 10 and 25 m, where reef fauna and passing fish share the rock. It is rated medium difficulty.
Also known as Farol.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Alcatrazes Archipelago and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The boat ties on to mooring 16 in Portinho. This mooring has no shelter from the wind, unlike the other scuba moorings. The shallowest part of the dive is at about 10 m, deeper than the sheltered moorings, and the bottom reaches around 25 m, where a sand floor holds large anemones in several colours.
Rocky reef with walls and large boulders makes up the ground, everything grown over with algae. Reef fauna lives on the rock and fish passing through the archipelago can be seen too. The mooring is also used for freediving and snorkelling.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Alcatrazes Archipelago: October to April is the better half of the year; February to April brings calmer sea and weaker currents, and September the coldest water.
Know before you go
- The mooring is not sheltered from the wind; hold the line on descent and ascent if the surface is choppy.
Dive videos
Mergulho: Arquipélago de Alcatrazes - Ilha do Farol - 13/04/2019 · Rafael Margado Salvioni on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Farol in Alcatrazes?+
Farol, mooring 16 in Portinho, runs from 10 to 25 m over reef, walls and boulders. It is exposed to the wind and rated medium difficulty.
Sources
More dive sites in Alcatrazes Archipelago
The refuge's low-difficulty mooring, shallow enough for try-dives
Portinho mooring out of the east wind, reef and walls to 25 m
The densest brain coral cover in the Alcatrazes archipelago
Open-sea granite walls to 60 m with big schools and strong current
Reef
Reef, walls and a cave on one mooring, from 4 to 30 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Boulder walls and canyons to 35 m inside a no-fishing zone
Reef
Ilhas Rasas
Guarapari · Brazil
A sand classroom for trainees and a wall from 6 to 22 m
Reef
Pedra da Cachorra
Ubatuba · Brazil
Stingrays mating in numbers in September and October
Coral slopes and a vertical wall between 5 m and 30 m