Madeira · Portugal · Reef
Arena
Amphitheatre reef in the underwater park, 10–24 m
Area photo: Alberto-g-rovi · CC BY 3.0
A reef inside the underwater park of Madeira, also called the Amphitheatre, dived between 10 and 24 metres. The second name describes the shape of the ground. Schools of bream and barracuda work the water over it, macaronesian groupers hold the rock, and slipper lobsters, reef lobsters and crabs are what a torch finds in the gaps.
Also known as Amphitheatre.
Where it is and how deep
32.6406° N, 16.8348° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
Ten metres at the shallow end, 24 at the deep. Twenty-four metres is inside recreational limits but deep enough that the deep leg has to be the short one, so the shape of the dive — down along the rock early, then back up with the remaining gas spent in the shallows — is set before you get in. The reef sits directly in the underwater park of Madeira.
The fish are the reason to look up: schools of bream over the ground, barracuda and jacks through the water above it, and macaronesian groupers and trumpet fish on the rock itself. Look down instead and the interest is crustacean — slipper lobsters, reef lobsters and crabs in the gaps in the stone. The curve of the ground is what gives the site its second name, the Amphitheatre.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Madeira: Jun–Sep brings the warmest water and best odds of manta rays around the Desertas; diving continues year-round but cooler and rougher in winter.
Sources
- Arena - Scubago — Scubago
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