Azores · Portugal · Wall · Reef · Pelagic & blue water
Ilhéus das Formigas
Bare rocks in mid-Atlantic with seemingly tame groupers
Photo: Neto AIA, Prestes ACL, Azevedo JMN, Resendes R, Álvaro NV, Neto RMA, Moreu I (2020) Marine algal flora of Formigas Islet · CC BY 4.0
The Ilhéus das Formigas are a line of bare rock outcrops in the open Atlantic off São Lourenço, one of the ocean's best-known areas for big-animal sightings. Strong currents and frequent large swells keep the rocks free of land life, while below them walls, reefs and a wreck offer several dives.
Also known as Formigas, Formigas Islets.
Where it is and how deep
37.2760° N, 24.7794° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The islets hold several dives: a small reef only 8 m deep, many routes along the walls of the islets, and several reefs to the north. Across the Formigas and Dollabarat reserve, dives reach 50 m. The groupers here seem tame and generally let divers photograph them.
Background
Since 4 April 1988 the Formigas Bank has been a Nature Reserve, protected by a decree of the Legislative Assembly of the Azores (Regional Legislative Decree Nº11/88/A). On 16 June 2008 the islets and the neighbouring Dollabarat Reef were recognised together as a Ramsar Convention wetland, Ilhéus das Formigas e Recife Dollabarat.
Marine life and season
- 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
- Strong currents and frequent large swells hit the islets.
Photos from Ilhéus das Formigas
Ruben JC Furtado · Public domain
Dive videos
Ilhéus das Formigas Santuários de Vida · Azores Wild Blue on YouTube
Sources
- Ilhéus das Formigas - ScubaGo — ScubaGo
- Mantamaria Dive Center — cursosdebuceo.com
- Formigas Islets - Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Diving area - Wahoo Diving — Wahoo Diving
Photo credits
- A large tuft of feathery pink-red seaweed covers a rock among rounded grey-green boulders underwater by Neto AIA, Prestes ACL, Azevedo JMN, Resendes R, Álvaro NV, Neto RMA, Moreu I (2020) Marine algal flora of Formigas Islet, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A white lighthouse stands on a low, dark rocky islet across a grey sea under an overcast sky by Ruben JC Furtado, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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