Guarapari, 53 km south of Vitória, is where the dive boats of Guarapari and Vitória shops leave for a group of rocky islands and wrecks offshore. Ilha Escalvada, 6.5 nautical miles out, is the most visited site, with dives from 3 to 22 m; the Ilhas Rasas add a sheltered training classroom and the Três Ilhas archipelago shallow dives from 3 to 12 m. The Victory 8B wreck runs from 18 to 36 m, the Bellucia from 15 to 27 m, and the deep Índia wreck is kept for technical divers.
About diving in Guarapari
Diving here is by day boat from Guarapari. Atlantes, which also runs technical dives, is based in the town, while Acqua Sub and Cia do Mergulho are Vitória shops that run regular trips out of Guarapari. Ilha Escalvada, the most visited site, lies 6.5 nautical miles from the boarding point, and the Ilhas Rasas are the second most visited. Each island has faces sheltered from the prevailing northeast wind and others sheltered from southerly winds, and diving goes on all year.
Ilha Escalvada and the Ilhas Rasas are rocky islands with dives from 3 to 22 m, with a crack in the rock leading to a small cave at Escalvada and boulder fields to swim between. Visibility reaches 25 m on good days. Trumpetfish, pufferfish, spotted morays, surgeonfish and several angelfish species, among them the queen angelfish, are regular companions, and turtles turn up now and then at Três Ilhas. The Victory 8B lies between the Ilhas Rasas and Ilha Escalvada, from 18 to 36 m, where manta rays have been seen on occasion.
The island sites need only a basic certification, and the classroom area at Rasa de Fora is used to train beginners. Três Ilhas, inside the APA de Setiba where fishing and spearfishing are banned, is a shallow 3 to 12 m site. The Victory 8B, a Greek cargo ship, was sunk on 3 July 2003 as an artificial reef and is recommended for experienced advanced and technical divers, and the Índia wreck is a technical dive.
Best time to dive Guarapari
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Diving runs all year; November to May is the best time at Ilha Escalvada and the Ilhas Rasas, and December to April at Três Ilhas.
Dive types & marine life
Trumpetfish, pufferfish, spotted morays and several angelfish species, including the queen angelfish, are common at Ilha Escalvada. Small lobsters and turtles are seen now and then at Três Ilhas, and manta rays have been met on the Victory 8B, though not reliably.
- Reef
- Wreck
- Sea turtles
Best dive sites in Guarapari
A 102 m British steamer lying between 15 and 27 m
Two sheltered faces, a small cave and boulder fields to swim between
Reef
A sand classroom for trainees and a wall from 6 to 22 m
Reef
A shallow, protected archipelago for macro and juvenile fish
Wreck
A cargo ship sunk as an artificial reef in 2003, from 18 to 36 m
Índia wreck
A broken-up wreck with abundant marine life, dived by technical divers.
How to get to Guarapari
Vitória Airport (VIX) is the closest airport. Guarapari is 53 km south of Vitória on the Rodovia do Sol. Atlantes is based in Guarapari; Acqua Sub and Cia do Mergulho are in Vitória and run their boats from Guarapari.
Photos from Guarapari
Leonardo Quintino from Belo Horizonte, Brasil · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
[COMPROVADO:] Mergulho em Guarapari é mais divertido que a praia do morro! · Conexão Atlantes on YouTube
Guarapari - Mergulhos Atlantes - 21 a 25 de Fevereiro de 2009 - Scuba Diving · ydna008 on YouTube
Sources
- Ilha Escalvada – Acqua Sub — Acqua Sub
- Três Ilhas – Acqua Sub — Acqua Sub
- Naufrágio Victory 8B – Acqua Sub — Acqua Sub
- Ilhas Rasas – Acqua Sub — Acqua Sub
- Naufrágio Índia – Acqua Sub — Acqua Sub
- Pontos de Mergulho | Atlantes — Atlantes
- CIA do Mergulho — Cia do Mergulho
- Guarapari – Wikivoyage — Wikivoyage
- Guarapari sea temperature — seatemperature.org
Photo credits
- Two masted schooners and small boats moored along a quay, with palms and buildings on the shore behind. by Leonardo Quintino from Belo Horizonte, Brasil, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Embed
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