Guarapari · Brazil · Reef
Ilha Escalvada
Two sheltered faces, a small cave and boulder fields to swim between
Photo: FERREIRA, Luciane Augusto de Azevedo; PACHELLE, Paulo P.G.; PAIVA, Sandra Vieira. On two species of Periclimenaeus Borra · CC BY 4.0
Ilha Escalvada is a rocky island 6.5 nautical miles from the Guarapari boarding point and the most visited dive site in Guarapari. Its two main faces are each sheltered from a different wind, and the island is dived all year, over boulders and rock from 3 to 22 m with visibility reaching 25 m.
Where it is and how deep
20.7007° S, 40.4080° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The boat runs 6.5 nautical miles out from Guarapari to the island. The southwest face is sheltered from the prevailing northeast wind, the current and the swell; a crack in the rock leads to a small cave where some species shelter, and a few old steel cylinders lie on the bottom. The northeast face is sheltered from the south-southwest wind, the current and the swell.
On the northeast face, large boulders lie scattered irregularly between 14 and 5 m, and swimming through the gaps between them makes good buoyancy practice. The site as a whole runs from 3 to 22 m, with the deepest parts reaching 24 m. Current is weak to moderate on the sheltered side, marine life is richer on the exposed side, and some dives ride the current from the exposed side round to the sheltered one.
Trumpetfish, pufferfish, spotted morays, surgeonfish and several angelfish species, among them the queen angelfish, are regular sights around the rocks. Photography, filming and watching animal behaviour by day and by night are the main draws, and some divers circle the whole island on twin nitrox cylinders.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Guarapari: 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.
Know before you go
- The point is susceptible to currents; on the exposed side, dives ride the current round to the sheltered face.
Photos from Ilha Escalvada
Daniel Filgueiras from Brasil · CC BY 2.0
Tedd Santana from Vitória, Brasil · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
Mergulho na Ilha Escalvada Guarapari. Profundidade 12m Mergulho 30 minutos. Escola Atlantes mergulho · Thigus Expedições on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the diving at Ilha Escalvada?+
Dives at Ilha Escalvada run from 3 to 22 m, with a maximum of 24 m in the deeper parts.
When is the best time to dive Ilha Escalvada?+
November to May is the best period at Ilha Escalvada, though diving goes on all year round the island.
Sources
- Ilha Escalvada – Acqua Sub — Acqua Sub Mergulhos
- Ilha Escalvada – Scubago — Scubago
Photo credits
- A pale, lumpy colonial ascidian spreading over rock, ringed by orange sponges and encrusting growth. by FERREIRA, Luciane Augusto de Azevedo; PACHELLE, Paulo P.G.; PAIVA, Sandra Vieira. On two species of Periclimenaeus Borra, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- One grey angelfish with a yellow-ringed eye and pale mouth swims low over a rubble bottom in green water. by Daniel Filgueiras from Brasil, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A low, dark island topped by a small lighthouse, seen across grey water under a pale sky. by Tedd Santana from Vitória, Brasil, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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