Paraty · Brazil · Reef
Ilha dos Cocos
A cave and octopus in Paraty's clearest water
Photo: *Marina Almeida · CC BY 2.0
Ilha dos Cocos lies a little farther out than Paraty's other island sites, and many divers rate its water the clearest in the area. It is shallow, to a maximum of 8 m, with a cave that makes a good photograph and a population of octopus, yet many of its spots call for some experience.
Where it is and how deep
23.2005° S, 44.5812° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The island sits a little farther out, about an hour from Paraty, and the water around it is clearer, so schools of fish, rays and turtles are easier to see. The dive is shallow, with a maximum depth of 8 m, and the island is also used for snorkelling. For many divers it is the Paraty site with the clearest water.
Two features set it apart. One is a cave at 4 m on the sheltered side of the island, a good place for photographs; the other is the octopus found around the island. Despite the shallow depth, Ilha dos Cocos is popular with long-time divers, because many of its spots require some experience, and it is one of the sites most sought after by divers visiting Paraty.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Stingrays
- Sea turtles
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
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.
Sources
- Conheça os 7 principais pontos de mergulho em Paraty — Evidive
- Conheça os principais pontos para a prática de mergulho em Paraty! — Pousada Porto Imperial
- Paraty — Brasil Mergulho
- Ilha dos Cocos, Paraty (OpenStreetMap) — OpenStreetMap
Photo credits
- A small rocky islet thick with palms and forest, a white house half hidden in the trees, over calm blue water by *Marina Almeida, CC BY 2.0, via Openverse
More dive sites in Paraty
Reef
Shoals of small fish close to the surface in calm water
Reef
A submerged Christ the Redeemer statue and an aeroplane wreck at the south end
Reef
A statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, covered in algae
Pinnacle
One rock to follow from the surface down to 22 m
Wreck
Paraty's shipwreck dive, off the Cajaíba point
Similar dives elsewhere
Green and hawksbill turtles over a coral garden five minutes from the pier
Reef
Três Ilhas
Guarapari · Brazil
A shallow, protected archipelago for macro and juvenile fish
Fish-crowded boulder outcrop with rays on the sand
A ship-shaped rock and a patch reef full of fish schools