Laje de Santos · Brazil · Reef · Cave & cavern
Calhaus
A U-shaped passage under an arch that stands above the water
Photo: mlsouza85@hotmail.co… · CC BY-SA 3.0
Calhaus is a rock formation about two nautical miles south-east of Laje de Santos, dived as a separate stop on the same offshore day trips. Its defining feature is a U-shaped passage through the rock with a central arch that stands above the water. The site runs to 30 m and only runs when the sea is good, so it is a plan-ahead stop rather than a fallback.
Where it is and how deep
24.3430° S, 46.1560° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The boat runs about two nautical miles south-east from the Laje to reach Calhaus, and the trip only happens when the sea is good, because dives here need excellent conditions. What you come for is the formation itself: the rock is cut by a U-shaped passage with a central arch standing above the water, and the dive is built around that structure rather than around a length of reef.
Inside the passage the bottom is large loose rock, so it takes real buoyancy control to move through without putting a fin down. Depth on the site reaches 30 m, which sets a short working time on the deeper part of the formation and keeps it out of the range of the park's easier rock dives. Morays, lobsters, groupers, parrotfish and turtles are the regulars on the rock, and pelagic fish come through off the southern face.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Laje de Santos: Autumn and winter (Mar–Sep) bring the clearest water and the manta ray aggregation; summer is warmer but rain and runoff cut visibility, and strong wind can close the park to boats.
Know before you go
- Dives here only run when sea conditions are excellent, so the stop is dropped from the day as soon as there is weather offshore.
- The floor of the passage is large loose rock, which punishes poor buoyancy control: get trim sorted before committing to the tunnel.
Photos from Calhaus
mlsouza85@hotmail.co… · CC BY-SA 3.0
Dive videos
Mergulho nos Calhaus - São Paulo · Brasil Mergulho on YouTube
Sources
- Conheça os pontos de Mergulho da Laje de Santos — Jornada Sub
- Calhaus — Brasil Mergulho
- Laje de Santos em Realidade Virtual — Pontos de Mergulho — lajedesantos.net
Photo credits
- Laje de Santos islet seen from the water with a dark sea cave opening at its base and a lighthouse on top by mlsouza85@hotmail.co…, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Long grey granite ridge of the Laje de Santos islet stretching across the horizon by mlsouza85@hotmail.co…, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Laje de Santos
A shallow rock at the islet's edge where turtles gather
An iron fishing boat scuttled to seed an artificial reef
Fishing anchors lost in the boulders off the Laje's west side
Similar dives elsewhere
A two-chamber cave with large groupers inside it
Caverns, chapeirões and boulders around a rocky island
Sheltered coves on the closest island, 30 minutes from the canal
Splendid toadfish, nurse sharks and turtles along the coral