Porto Santo · Portugal · Wall
Baixa do Max
A 15 m to 33 m wall, run only when the current allows
Area photo: Portuguese_eyes · CC BY-SA 2.0
A wall reef between 15 m and 33 m, subject to currents that are sometimes strong and to some swell, which is why it is kept for experienced divers and is not run every day. Groupers and rays are the animals named here, with several species of bream, damselfish and morays along the wall, and anemones, shrimps and maerl on the ground.
Where it is and how deep
33.0455° N, 16.2766° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
This dive has to be earned. The wall runs between 15 m and 33 m, it is subject to currents that are sometimes strong and to some undulation, and the operators state plainly that it is for experienced divers and is not dived every day. That makes it a conditions dive: if the day is right it goes on the plan, and if it is not, somewhere sheltered gets dived instead.
On the wall itself the mix is groupers and rays with several species of bream, damselfish and morays, and the ground carries anemones, shrimps and maerl — the last of these a coralline algal bed rather than anything that will swim away from you. Depth and current together set the shape of the dive: the deeper part goes first, the shallower end of the range takes the last of the time.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Stingrays
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Porto Santo: Diving runs all year. July to October holds the warmest water, logged at 22–23°C, February logs the lowest visibility, and the island's rain falls in winter.
Know before you go
- Currents here are sometimes strong and there is often some undulation, so the site is only run on the right day and can be swapped for a sheltered one at short notice.
- The wall reaches 33 m, past recreational limits for most certifications, so agree a maximum depth before the descent rather than following the rock down.
Questions divers ask
Why is Baixa do Max not dived every day?+
It is subject to currents that are sometimes strong and to some undulation, so the operators run it only on suitable days and only with experienced divers.
Sources
- Baixa do Max — Scubago
More dive sites in Porto Santo
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Reef
Big sheltering rocks between 13 m and 20 m
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Reef platform at 8 m dropping to sand at 22 m
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Rock from 7 m to stone walls at 30 m, near Ilhéu da Cal
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A Navy corvette sunk in 2016, top at 15 m, bottom at 30 m
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Lesson ground in 2 to 7 m, straight off the dive centre
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A small cave off the islet, from 15 m down to 25 m
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