Azores · Portugal · Pinnacle · Reef
Pedrinha
Two easy swim-through galleries in a cluster of lava pinnacles
Pedrinha is a marine reserve near Vila do Porto made up of several small pinnacles in one site. Lava formations, canyons and two galleries break up the rock, and the reserve holds abundant life, from small nudibranchs to barracudas and groupers.
Where it is and how deep
36.9348° N, 25.0919° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
A mooring buoy line runs 8 m down to the main rock, where the dive starts. From there the route works among the pinnacles, their lava formations and canyons, mostly between 15 and 25 m, with the deepest point at 32 m. Two galleries cut through the rock and are easy to pass through.
Small nudibranchs and different kinds of crabs live on the rock faces, while barracudas, groupers, several kinds of moray eel and mackerels move around the pinnacles.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Barracuda
- 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
- Moderate currents can occur around the pinnacles.
Dive videos
🐟 ¡BANCOS DE PECES HUYENDO DE LAS BARRACUDAS! 🌊🇵🇹 | Pedrinha | Santa María de Azores | 18-07-2014 🤿 · Producciones Maldisub on YouTube
Sources
- Pedrinha - ScubaGo — ScubaGo
- Santa Maria dive sites - Haliotis — Haliotis
- Diving area - Wahoo Diving — Wahoo Diving
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