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Steep dark cliffs streaked with red rock rise from the sea, with a tall rock stack offshore, seen from the water — Baixa dos Rosais, Azores.

Azores · Portugal · Reef · Pelagic & blue water

Baixa dos Rosais

Almaco jacks and yellowmouth barracuda schooling over an offshore reef top

Photo: pedrik · CC BY 2.0

Baixa dos Rosais is an offshore reef 3 miles (4.8 km) north-northwest of Ponta dos Rosais, the western tip of São Jorge. Its top lies only 15 m deep, strong currents sweep it, and large schools of pelagic fish gather over it.

Also known as Rosais Reef, Baixa da Ponta dos Rosais.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Baixa dos Rosais: typical dive to 15 m (to 50 ft), deepest point 50 m (164 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 m50 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 60 m (197 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

38.7938° N, 28.3335° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

Dives here stay on the top of the reef at 15 m, the main spot for watching pelagic species, even though the site reaches 50 m. Anchovies, Almaco jacks, white trevally and yellowmouth barracuda crowd the water over the top, with bluefish and Atlantic bonito among the most common species. Less common sightings include red scorpionfish and moray eels.

Marine life and season

  • Trevally & jacks
  • Barracuda
Month-by-month season rating for Baixa dos Rosais
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FairFairFairFairFairPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFair

Season follows Azores: June to September is the best time to dive; the clearest water runs from August into October, and in spring visibility drops to an average of 10–15 m.

Know before you go

  • Strong currents run over the reef, which makes it unsuitable for beginners despite the shallow top.

Dive videos

Diving in São Jorge - Azores · São Jorge Dive Center on YouTube

Sources

  1. Baixa dos Rosais — Visit Azores
  2. Rosais Reef (São Jorge Island) — Visit Azores
  3. Baixa da Ponta dos Rosais — Wikipedia
  4. Ponta dos Rosais — OpenStreetMap

Photo credits

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