Porto de Galinhas · Brazil · Reef
Piscinas Naturais
Sheltered pools with no current, a 15-minute guided dive at 1 to 5 m
Area photo: Cleferson Comarela · CC BY-SA 3.0
The natural reef pools off Porto de Galinhas beach are the town's shallow scuba site, dived on short guided tank dives between 1 and 5 m, with the deepest parts at about 6 m. The water is sheltered and without current, around 28°C, and the site suits beginners and first-time Try Scuba divers.
Also known as Porto de Galinhas Natural Pools.
Where it is and how deep
8.5060° S, 34.9999° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The pools are reached by jangada from the beach, and a qualified guide takes each diver down on a tank dive. Bottom time is 15 minutes, at depths between 1 and 5 m, with the deepest parts of the pools at around 6 m. The pools sit in a sheltered spot without current, so the dive is spent close to the guide over the reef, looking at colourful fish and coral.
The water is warm, about 28°C, and visibility is good. Tide matters here: the pools are best dived at low tide, when visibility is better and the dive is safer. The same pools are open to snorkellers on a 45-minute float with mask, snorkel and buoyancy vest included, so non-divers in a group can see the same reef from the surface.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Porto de Galinhas: October to March is the best period for diving here.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the scuba dive in the Porto de Galinhas natural pools?+
The guided tank dive runs at 1 to 5 m, with about 6 m at the deepest, and lasts 15 minutes of bottom time.
When is the best time to dive the Porto de Galinhas natural pools?+
Low tide. The pools are best dived then, when visibility is better and the dive is safer.
Sources
- Mergulho Legal com Amaral — Mergulho Legal com Amaral
- Piscinas Naturais - Porto de Galinhas — Scubago
More dive sites in Porto de Galinhas
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
Wreck
A tug in navigational position on three levels, grown over with sponges and coral
Similar dives elsewhere
Shoals of small fish close to the surface in calm water
A cave and octopus in Paraty's clearest water
13 m, sheltered and currentless: the region's first-dive island
A statue of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, covered in algae