Azores · Portugal · Pinnacle · Pelagic & blue water
Moldinho
A Corvo reef rising from deep water almost to the surface
Moldinho, also called Pedra do Atlas, is a reef about 450 m off the northeast coast of Corvo that rises from 45 m to within 4 m of the surface. Currents run over the isolated rock, and it is one of the sites off Corvo dived besides the island's grouper reserve.
Also known as Pedra do Atlas, Pedras do Atlas, Baixa do Moldinho.
Where it is and how deep
39.7229° N, 31.0857° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The Moldinho reef climbs from a base at 45 m to a top just 4 m below the surface, off the northeast shore of Corvo. Its distance from shore draws large schools of jacks and bluefish, while barred hogfish, parrotfish and dusky groupers live around the top of the reef. Because of the depth reached and the currents that can be felt over the rock, the dive is reserved for divers with experience and Advanced Open Water certification.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Azores: June to September is the best time to dive; the clearest water lasts into October, spring water turns green, and in winter the Corvo ferry sails only when the weather allows.
Know before you go
- The current is usually moderate but can run strong over this isolated reef, on top of depths that reach 45 m.
Sources
- Moldinho — Visit Azores
- Moldinho — byAçores
- Corvo diving — Visit Azores
- Baixa do Moldinho (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap contributors
More dive sites in Azores
Pelagic & blue water
Almaco jacks and barracuda hunting clouds of blue jack mackerel
Pinnacle
A drowned volcanic cone rising to within 6 m of the surface
More than a dozen dusky groupers around divers at once
Cave & cavern
A cave with two entrances guarded by unusually large trevally
Wall
A reef wall that splits the islet into a sheltered side and an exposed one
Wall
Lava-tube caves hiding conger eels and moray eels
Similar dives elsewhere
A gorgonian-clad pinnacle topping out at 15 m in open blue
The deeper twin of Tavolara's Papa shoal, beyond a sandy channel
Oceanic mantas and hammerheads over rock rising from 45 m
Big pelagics turn up on the pinnacles when the current runs.