Azores · Portugal · Seamount · Pelagic & blue water
Banco Dollabarat
An open-ocean seamount where hammerheads and mantas pass
Banco Dollabarat is a seamount 3 nautical miles from the Formigas islets that rises from several hundred metres down to within 4 m of the surface. Powerful currents sweep it, and they bring big fish: hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, barracudas, jacks and giant manta rays.
Also known as Dollabarat, Recife Dollabarat, Dollabarat Reef.
Where it is and how deep
37.2111° N, 24.7499° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The top of the seamount comes up to 4 m below the surface, and the reserve that holds Dollabarat and the Formigas islets together is dived to 50 m. Powerful currents run over the bank, and with them come hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, striped bonitos, thazards, Mediterranean barracudas, jacks, groupers and giant manta rays.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
- Manta rays
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Azores: Boats run May to October; July to September is the peak at Ambrósio, and the offshore trips run regularly from June.
Know before you go
- Powerful currents run over the seamount.
- The site is in open ocean, where the water gets choppy.
Dive videos
Banco Dollabarat, Santa Maria, Portugal · Pedro Menezes on YouTube
Sources
- Banco Dollabarat - ScubaGo — ScubaGo
- Mantamaria Dive Center — cursosdebuceo.com
- Diving area - Wahoo Diving — Wahoo Diving
- Formigas Islets - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
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