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One dark brown moray eel covered in small white spots, mouth open, peering out from a crevice in a rock crusted with algae — Paraty

Paraty · Brazil · Reef

Ilha Comprida

Shoals of small fish close to the surface in calm water

Area photo: manoellemos · CC BY-SA 2.0

Ilha Comprida is known as Paraty's natural aquarium: a calm island site, to a maximum of 12 m, with a very large population of small fish species and a spawning ground. Dive schools use it for students' check-out dives and for try-dives, and it is also popular with snorkellers.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Ilha Comprida: typical dive to 12 m (to 40 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit12 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

23.3989° S, 44.8522° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The water around Ilha Comprida is very calm, which is why it is one of the dive schools' favourite sites for check-out dives with students and for try-dives. The maximum depth is 12 m. The island holds a very large population of small fish species and is a spawning site, and schools of fish and turtles are both common sights on the dive.

Plenty of fish stay close to the surface, so the site is busy with snorkellers as well as divers. Ilha Comprida is on the route of the schooners and tourist boats, and in the high season it can get crowded, which can reduce the visibility for photographs and for watching the marine life.

Marine life and season

  • Reef fish swarms
  • Sea turtles
Month-by-month season rating for Ilha Comprida
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGoodGood

Season follows Paraty: No month is reported as best: the bay's islands have calm, clear water all year, and January is the wettest month with about 19 rain days.

Know before you go

  • Schooners and tourist boats crowd the island in the high season, which can reduce visibility.

Sources

  1. Conheça os 7 principais pontos de mergulho em Paraty — Evidive
  2. Conheça os principais pontos para a prática de mergulho em Paraty! — Pousada Porto Imperial
  3. Ilha Comprida (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap contributors

More dive sites in Paraty

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Ilha dos Cocos

A cave and octopus in Paraty's clearest water

to 8 madvanced

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Ilha dos Meros

A submerged Christ the Redeemer statue and an aeroplane wreck at the south end

to 21 mintermediate

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Ilha dos Ratos

A statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, covered in algae

to 12 mbeginner

Pinnacle

Laje dos Meros

One rock to follow from the surface down to 22 m

to 22 mintermediate

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