Ilhabela · Brazil · Reef
Costão dos Aquários
Fish-crowded boulder outcrop with rays on the sand
Area photo: João D'Andretta · CC BY-SA 4.0
Costão dos Aquários is a rocky outcrop at Ilha dos Búzios, built from large boulders full of holes and crevices and named for the fish that crowd it. Turtles are seen on the rock and butterfly rays on the sandy bottom, from 4 m down to 20 m. It lies away from the coast, is subject to current and is dived only in very calm seas.
Also known as Costão do Aquário, Ilha de Búzios - Costão dos Aquários.
Where it is and how deep
23.7971° S, 45.1564° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Costão dos Aquários is an outcrop of large boulders lying away from the coast of Ilha dos Búzios, and it is dived only when the sea is very calm. The dive runs from 4 to 20 m around the boulders, whose many holes and crevices hold the abundance of fish that the site's name suggests, with a sandy bottom around the foot of the rock.
Turtles are seen around the rock, and butterfly rays rest on the sandy bottom. Being away from the shore, the outcrop is subject to current, which is why the site is kept for days when the sea is very calm.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Reef fish swarms
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Ilhabela: Diving runs all year. The water is warmest, up to 27 °C, from mid-January until autumn, and early summer can bring cold thermoclines.
Know before you go
- Away from the shore the outcrop is subject to current; it is dived only in very calm seas.
Dive videos
[Scuba Dive] [Brazil | São Sebastião] Ilha de Buzios - Costão dos Aquários · Bruno Martos on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Costão dos Aquários?+
The rock runs from 4 to 20 m, with a sandy bottom around it where butterfly rays rest.
Sources
- Ilha dos Búzios - Narwhal — Narwhal Ilhabela
- Ilha de Buzios - Costao dos Aquarios - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Ilhabela
Boulder walls and canyons to 35 m inside a no-fishing zone
Reef
Offshore island day trip with visibility up to 20 m
Reef
Boulder shore riddled with holes, to 25 m
Wreck
A 1920 cargo steamer in sheltered water 50 m from shore
Boilers, engines and the whole stern of a 1908 liner, 70 m off the beach
Reef
The turtle route, entered straight off the beach
Similar dives elsewhere
A submerged Christ the Redeemer statue and an aeroplane wreck at the south end
A shallow rock at the islet's edge where turtles gather
The refuge's low-difficulty mooring, shallow enough for try-dives
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A large chamber full of fish at the island's southern point