Bonito · Brazil · Freshwater · Drift
Nascente Azul
An intensely blue limestone spring, seven metres at its deepest
Photo: Marcel Favery · CC BY-SA 3.0
Nascente Azul is a spring and river float outside Bonito, where water filtered through the limestone of the Serra da Bodoquena surfaces an intense blue and holds close to 24 °C in any season. The water reaches seven metres at its deepest, and the outing runs about two and a half hours with mask, snorkel and wetsuit provided.
Where it is and how deep
20.8934° S, 56.5306° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The colour is the reason people book this one. Water filtered through the limestone of the Serra da Bodoquena surfaces here an intense blue, and the float works down from the spring with a guide, in a wetsuit and on a snorkel, at the pace the river sets. The water sits close to 24 °C at any time of year, so the season changes nothing about how the trip feels, and the suit is part of the kit you are handed.
Depth reaches seven metres at the deepest point, and that is where anyone comfortable holding their breath can drop down on the apnea option offered at the spring rather than watching it from the surface. The whole visit runs about two and a half hours end to end, gear included, which makes it a straightforward half-day and an easy one to bring non-divers along to.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Bonito: The Apr–Sep dry season gives the most reliable clarity; heavy rain from Nov to Feb can cloud the rivers and close them for a day or two after storms.
Photos from Nascente Azul
MTur Destinos · Public domain
MTur Destinos · Public domain
Dive videos
💦 Flutuação na Nascente Azul - Bonito MS | 4k - Dome · Vivendo Família on YouTube
Sources
- Nascente Azul — Nascente Azul
Photo credits
- Underwater view of a fish swimming past aquatic plants in the crystal-clear water of Nascente Azul by Marcel Favery, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Aerial view of the turquoise Nascente Azul channel winding through dense forest canopy by MTur Destinos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Aerial view of forest canopy opening onto the turquoise pool of Nascente Azul by MTur Destinos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- Freshwater diving: lakes, springs and quarriesFreshwater · 15 min read
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