Maceió & Praia do Francês · Brazil · Reef
Praia do Francês
A reef-sheltered bay pool dived from the sand, no deeper than 10 m
Photo: Cleferson Comarela · CC BY-SA 3.0
Praia do Francês is a shore dive inside a bay closed off by a reef that shelters it from the ocean waves. The dive needs no boat: it runs in the wide pool between the sand and the coral barrier, at low tide every day, and goes no deeper than 10 m. Octopus hide in dens along the reef.
Where it is and how deep
9.7706° S, 35.8400° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts on the beach. No boat is involved: divers walk in and swim out into the wide natural pool that forms between the sand and the line of coral that closes off the bay. The reef breaks the ocean waves, so the water inside stays protected, and the dives go out every day, always timed for low tide.
Inside the pool the dive goes no deeper than 10 m, so it stays shallow from start to finish. The reef holds a wide mix of marine life for such a small space. Octopus shelter in dens in the rock, hidden by their camouflage against the reef. The dive then turns back towards the sand for the exit on the beach.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Maceió & Praia do Francês: October to April is the season; June to August brings rain and strong wind. December to February books up weeks ahead.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the dive at Praia do Francês?+
No deeper than 10 m. The dive runs from the beach into the pool between the sand and the reef that shelters the bay, at low tide every day.
Sources
- Mergulho em Alagoas, na Praia do Francês — Blog Hotel Ponta Verde
- Ecoscuba Maceió — Ecoscuba
- Praia do Francês (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap contributors
Photo credits
- Aerial view of a long reef barrier with surf on its seaward side, sheltering a calm turquoise lagoon dotted with small boats by Cleferson Comarela, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Maceió & Praia do Francês
Wreck
An upside-down 53 m dredge at 30 to 32 m, its metalwork covered in coral
Wreck
A capsized 50 m dredge at 27 to 30 m, with an old boiler among the wreckage
Reef
A 70 m rock formation with plateaus, 20 minutes off Maceió
Wreck
An intact 20 m winch barge at 30 to 32 m, known locally as the Draga Nova
Similar dives elsewhere
A cave and octopus in Paraty's clearest water
Green and hawksbill turtles over a coral garden five minutes from the pier
Shoals of small fish close to the surface in calm water
13 m, sheltered and currentless: the region's first-dive island