Porto Santo, the area around Poio Pequeno

Porto Santo · Portugal · Reef

Poio Pequeno

Easy 8 m to 20 m slope with a resident school of grunts

Area photo: Portuguese_eyes · CC BY-SA 2.0

A slope on the south side of Ilhéu de Cima, dived as an easy run between 8 m and 20 m that starts by heading south. There is sometimes some current on it. A resident school of bastard grunts is the fixture here, with rays, groupers, morays, several species of bream, striped mullet, trumpetfish, larger forkbeard and glasseyes along the way.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Poio Pequeno: typical dive 8–20 m (26–66 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit8 m20 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

33.0512° N, 16.2806° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The site is the slope on the south side of Ilhéu de Cima, the islet off the east end of Porto Santo, and it is dived as an easy run between 8 m and 20 m. The route starts by heading south, so the shape of it is set from the drop rather than improvised, and the depth band is wide enough that the group can sit at whatever level suits it. Sometimes there is some current here, which is the one thing that changes the pace.

What people come back for is a resident school of bastard grunts, which holds on the slope rather than moving off. Around them are rays, groupers and morays, with several species of bream, striped mullet, trumpetfish, larger forkbeard and glasseyes filling in the rest, so the deeper half of the range has plenty in it before the dive comes back up the slope to finish.

Marine life and season

  • Groupers
  • Stingrays
  • Reef fish swarms
Month-by-month season rating for Poio Pequeno
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFair

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

  • There is sometimes some current here and the dive begins by heading south, so keep to the guide's direction and hold something in reserve for the return.

Questions divers ask

How deep is Poio Pequeno?+

It is an easy dive between 8 m and 20 m on the slope on the south side of Ilhéu de Cima, though there is sometimes some current on it.

Sources

  1. Poio Pequeno — Scubago

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