Boa Vista is a Cabo Verde island where the diving is done by boat on rocky reefs, walls cut with caves and the wreck of an old fishing boat. Shark Point is a wall where sand tiger and nurse sharks rest in the caves, Catxupa is a drift dive where two currents cross, and the Taliarte wreck lies on its side. Most dives run from 7 m to 22 m, and from June to September loggerhead turtles mate around the reef rocks while nesting on the island's beaches.
About diving in Boa Vista
Diving here is done from boats, and some runs are short: Alcatraz islet, east of Sal Rei, is about ten minutes out. The resort centres switch their departure point between Karamboa and Touareg with the season, two spots about half an hour apart by road, and on changeable days the weather decides which side the boats leave from. Conditions also pick the sites: the northern Channel dive needs good weather, so that swell does not lift sediment and hide the marine life.
The terrain is rocky: reefs, walls cut with caves and overhangs, and a reef edge at Atlantida that drops vertically to sand at 30 m. Around Alcatraz, the shallow rocks are full of parrotfish and trumpetfish with schools of surgeonfish and goatfish, while the deeper dives there add moray eels, groupers, lobsters and big turtles. The island's waters hold various species of rays and nurse sharks.
The shallow sites suit newer divers: beginners can stay on top of the reef at Atlantida at around 9 m, and the Taliarte wreck, 10 m at most, is used for courses and for divers returning after a long break. Experienced divers have Shark Bow and the deeper part of Atlantida. Over a third of the island, 37% of its area, is protected, the highest share of any inhabited island in Cabo Verde.
Best time to dive Boa Vista
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair |
Diving runs through the whole year, but the resort boats change base with the seasons. From October to March they dive from Touareg, and in the winter months the sea can be rougher than usual, which can affect the day's diving, so December to February rate lowest. April is a changeable month, with boats leaving from either Touareg or Karamboa depending on the weather. From May to September they dive from Karamboa. June to September is the peak: loggerhead turtles mate around the reef rocks while the island's beaches serve as the third most important loggerhead nesting site in the world. The water is coolest at about 21°C and reaches 28°C at its warmest.
Dive types & marine life
Loggerhead turtles are the seasonal draw: from June to September they mate around the reef rocks while nesting on the island's beaches. Nurse sharks usually rest under overhangs and in cracks in the reef, and sand tiger sharks usually rest in the caves at Shark Point.
- Reef
- Wall
- Drift
- Wreck
- Sand tiger sharks
- Sea turtles
- Groupers
Best dive sites in Boa Vista
- 1
Shark Point
Wall with many caves to 22 m where sand tiger and nurse sharks rest
- 2
Shark Bow
Deeper reef that only begins at 22 m, recommended for experienced divers
- 3
Catxupa
Drift dive to 13 m on the line where two currents cross
- 4
Taliarte wreck
Old fishing boat lying on its starboard side
- 5
Atlantida
Site with options for every level of diver
- 6
Alcatraz
Islet with shallow dives from 7 m and deeper ones to 16 m
Site guides
Reef
Islet rocks full of parrotfish, with groupers and turtles deeper
Reef
A reef top for newer divers above a vertical drop to sand
Sand slope
A sandy-bottomed site for refreshing basic skills
Reef
Sand tiger sharks and stingrays on a reef that appears at 22 m
Wall
Sand tiger sharks resting inside the caves of the wall
Wreck
An old fishing boat resting on its starboard side
How to get to Boa Vista
Flights land at Aristides Pereira International Airport, about 5 km southeast of Sal Rei. Dive centres work from Sal Rei and from the resort hotels at Karamboa and Touareg, which are about half an hour apart by road.
Photos from Boa Vista
Ximonic (Simo Räsänen) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Scuba Diving Boa Vista, Scuba Diving Cape Verde HD · Real Freedom Productions on YouTube
Diving@Cabo Verde - Boa Vista · BluePurga on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When can divers see loggerhead turtles at Boa Vista?+
From June to September, when loggerheads mate around the reef rocks and nest on the island's beaches, the third most important loggerhead nesting site in the world.
Where do Boa Vista dive boats leave from?+
The resort boats leave from Karamboa from May to September and from Touareg from October to March, with April decided by the weather. Alcatraz islet is about ten minutes by boat east of Sal Rei.
Is Boa Vista good for beginner divers?+
Yes. Beginners can stay on top of the reef at Atlantida at around 9 m, and the Taliarte wreck, 10 m at most, is used for courses. Shark Bow, where the reef starts at 22 m, is better left to experienced divers.
Can divers see sharks at Boa Vista?+
Nurse sharks rest under overhangs and in cracks on the reefs, and sand tiger and nurse sharks shelter in the caves of the wall at Shark Point, a dive to a maximum of 22 m.
Sources
- Diving Center Riamar — Diving Center Riamar
- Boa Vista – ScubaCaribe — ScubaCaribe
- Diving in Boa Vista – Soul Tours Cabo Verde — Soul Tours Cabo Verde
- Boa Vista, Cape Verde — Wikipedia
- Sal Rei Average Sea Temperatures — seatemperature.org
Photo credits
- Rusted hull of a large wrecked ship sitting in shallow turquoise surf off a sandy beach under a blue sky by Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
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