South America · Brazil
Porto de Galinhas
Two artificial-reef wrecks at 32 to 35 m: the Gonçalo Coelho and the Marte tug
Photo: Cleferson Comarela · CC BY-SA 3.0
A Pernambuco beach town south of Recife where diving runs from shallow guided dives in the natural reef pools at 1 to 5 m to boat trips offshore. The Gonçalo Coelho, a Second World War landing ship sunk 14 km from the pools in 1999, and the Marte tug, sunk in 1997 and now covered in sponges and coral, lie at 32 to 35 m as artificial reefs. The Laje dos Trinta at 30 m holds rays and morays, and the inshore reefs reach 12 m.
About diving in Porto de Galinhas
Diving here splits into two different days. The shallow option is a short guided scuba dive in the natural pools off the beach, 15 minutes of bottom time at 1 to 5 m with a qualified guide. The offshore day is a boat trip to the wrecks, sold as two daytime dives with a snack, and the Gonçalo Coelho lies 14 km from the pools. The centres are in town; Aicá Diving has run PADI courses and trips for certified divers since 1997.
The inshore reefs lie 200 m from the beach and reach 12 m, with lobsters, octopus, stonefish, flounder and morays, all of which also show on night dives. The Laje dos Trinta sits at 30 m with rays, morays and dog snapper. The artificial reefs are the deepest dives, sunk at 32 to 35 m: the Marte tug at 32 m, sunk in 1997 and now covered in sponges and coral, and the Gonçalo Coelho, a wartime landing ship sunk in 1999. Turtles and rays gather in numbers on the Gonçalo Coelho, and an unidentified wreck about 300 years old, at 30 m, adds a much older hull.
Porto de Galinhas suits two kinds of visitor. Beach holidaymakers get a first taste of scuba in the pools, best done at low tide when visibility is better; Aicá Diving's Discover Scuba Diving takes children from 8 years to 2 m and anyone from 10 to 6 m. The wreck trips are restricted to experienced, certified divers.
Best time to dive Porto de Galinhas
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime |
October to March is the best period for diving here.
Best months: January, February, March, October, November, December
Dive types & marine life
Turtles and rays gather in numbers on the Gonçalo Coelho, rays, morays and dog snapper on the Laje dos Trinta, and the inshore reefs carry lobsters, octopus, stonefish and flounder that show on night dives too.
- Wreck
- Reef
- Night
- Sea turtles
- Octopus & cuttlefish
Best dive sites in Porto de Galinhas
- 1
Gonçalo Coelho
Second World War landing ship that later carried cargo to Fernando de Noronha, sunk in 1999 as a reef.
- 2
Rebocador Marte
Tug sunk in 1997 as an artificial reef at 32 m, now covered in sponges and coral.
- 3
Laje dos Trinta
Rocky bank at 30 m where rays, morays and dog snapper are found.
Site guides
Wreck
Wartime landing ship with cranes and holds, home to turtles and rays
Reef
Reef heads, corridors and tunnels at 30 m, with rays, morays and dog snapper
Sheltered pools with no current, a 15-minute guided dive at 1 to 5 m
Wreck
A tug in navigational position on three levels, grown over with sponges and coral
How to get to Porto de Galinhas
Fly into Recife/Guararapes, about 60 km north. Cruzeiro buses run from central Recife to Porto de Galinhas between 04:45 and 22:30 and stop at the airport. The dive centres, Aicá Diving among them, are in the town itself.
Photos from Porto de Galinhas
Ventura · CC BY 2.0
Andrevruas · CC BY 3.0
Elvis Boaventura · CC BY 3.0
Dive videos
Scuba Dive - Tropical Fish - Mergulho - Pontal de Cupe - Porto de Galinhas- Brasil · Canal Da Gleice on YouTube
Porto de Galinhas Beach #1: Scuba Diving in The Best Beach in Brazil [In English] · Diogo Kyrillos - Vida Nômade on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification do the Porto de Galinhas wrecks need?+
The offshore wreck trips are restricted to experienced, certified divers, since the artificial reefs lie at 32 to 35 m. A first taste of scuba is a guided dive in the natural pools at 1 to 5 m.
When is the best time to dive Porto de Galinhas?+
October to March is the best period for diving here, with water of 26 to 29 °C. The natural pools are best dived at low tide, when visibility is better.
How far offshore are the Porto de Galinhas wrecks?+
The Gonçalo Coelho lies 14 km from the pools, and the offshore day is a boat trip sold as two daytime dives with a snack. The inshore reefs lie 200 m from the beach and reach 12 m.
How do divers get to Porto de Galinhas?+
Fly into Recife/Guararapes, about 60 km north. Cruzeiro buses run from central Recife to Porto de Galinhas between 04:45 and 22:30 and stop at the airport.
Sources
- Porto de Galinhas: uma viagem submarina — Brasil Travel News
- Naufrágios e pontos de mergulho em Porto de Galinhas — Trilhas e Aventuras
- Mar de Porto de Galinhas guarda naufrágios históricos — Catraca Livre
- Aicá Diving — Aicá Diving
- Aicá Diving: Descubra — Aicá Diving
- Deep Dive Adventures — Deep Dive Adventures
- Mergulho Legal com Amaral — Mergulho Legal com Amaral
- Piscinas Naturais - Porto de Galinhas — Scubago
- Porto de Galinhas — Wikivoyage
- Recife Water Temperature — Sea Temperatures
Photo credits
- Aerial view of a jangada sailboat over turquoise water beside a low reef shelf off a palm-lined beach by Cleferson Comarela, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Two scuba divers swim over an encrusted shipwreck deck with small fish around a mast by Ventura, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A dense school of striped sergeant major fish crowding shallow green water at the edge of a reef by Andrevruas, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A row of colourful jangada sailboats with tall masts drawn up on a sandy beach by Elvis Boaventura, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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