Porto Santo · Portugal · Reef
High Stones
Lesson ground in 2 to 7 m, straight off the dive centre
Area photo: Portuguese_eyes · CC BY-SA 2.0
A rock formation directly in front of the diving centre, starting at 2 m and reaching 7 m. It is very sheltered with no current, which is why the centre runs its diving and snorkelling lessons on it, and visibility is around 20 m. The shallow water holds breams and puffers, blennies, wide-eyed flounders, damselfish, Turkish wrasse, bogues, parrotfish, morays and the occasional ray.
Where it is and how deep
33.0607° N, 16.3057° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Everything about this dive is small in scale. The formation is the rock in front of the diving centre, it starts at 2 m and it reaches 7 m, so there is no profile to manage and no depth to work around. Shelter is the other half of it: the site is very sheltered and there is no current on it, which is why the centre puts its diving and snorkelling lessons on this rock.
Visibility is around 20 m, which in 7 m of water means most of the formation is in view at once and a group can be kept together without effort. The rock is where the small residents are: several species of bream and puffers, blennies and wide-eyed flounders, damselfish, Turkish wrasse, bogues and parrotfish, morays in the holes, and the occasional ray on the sand.
Marine life and season
- 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.
Questions divers ask
Is High Stones suitable for a first dive?+
Yes. It is very sheltered with no current and runs from 2 m to 7 m, and the diving centre uses it for both diving and snorkelling lessons.
Can you snorkel at High Stones?+
Yes — the formation starts at 2 m and reaches 7 m in front of the diving centre, with no current, and snorkelling lessons are run there.
Sources
- High Stones — Scubago
More dive sites in Porto Santo
Reef
Easy reef from 8 m on the rock to 22 m on the sand
Reef
Big sheltering rocks between 13 m and 20 m
Wall
A 15 m to 33 m wall, run only when the current allows
Reef
Reef platform at 8 m dropping to sand at 22 m
Reef
Rock from 7 m to stone walls at 30 m, near Ilhéu da Cal
Reef
Three cannons and ammunition on the seabed at about 20 m
A Navy corvette sunk in 2016, top at 15 m, bottom at 30 m
Cave & cavern
A small cave off the islet, from 15 m down to 25 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A false ceiling right around a 10 m shoal off Corralejo
A grotto rock at 5–14 m that shelters lobsters and rays
Easy 2-metre entry, small wreck off the point
Shore-entry reef at 7-8 m, the local beginner and refresher dive