Azores · Portugal · Reef

House Reef Ponta Delgada

A shore-divable reef of arches and sand from 4 to 20 m

A reef of sandy bottoms, arches and rock that runs from 4 to 20 metres and can be dived from a boat or entered from the shore. It is fifteen minutes out of the Ponta Delgada marina by boat, and the sand holds seahorses, stingrays and enough small life to justify a slow, long dive.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of House Reef Ponta Delgada: typical dive 4–20 m (13–66 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit4 m20 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

37.7402° N, 25.5742° WPublished position for this site.

The dive

Depths range from 4 metres up to 20, so the dive is shaped by where it starts. It can be entered from the shore or run from the boat, fifteen minutes out of the Ponta Delgada marina, and those two starts put the shallow ground at opposite ends of the dive. The bottom alternates sand, arches and rock the whole way.

The arches are the structure to work and the sand between them is where the looking happens. Seahorses, stingrays and round stingrays, grey mullet, red mullet, axillary seabream, red porgy and wrasse are all on the list here, along with sea slugs on the rock. The shallow depths and the shore option are what make this a long dive rather than a fast one.

Marine life and season

  • Stingrays
  • Macro critters
  • Reef fish swarms
Month-by-month season rating for House Reef Ponta Delgada
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFair

Season follows Azores: June to September is the settled season and August into October the clearest water; diving carries on through winter in a 7-10mm or dry suit when swell allows.

Sources

  1. House Reef Ponta Delgada — Scubago

More dive sites in Azores

Reef

Arcos da Caloura

Four rock arches at 16 metres in a sheltered bay

5–20 mintermediate

Reef

Baixa do Espelho

A volcanic arch to swim through on a reef topping out at 7 m

7–35 mintermediate

Wreck

Dori

A 130-metre Liberty ship broken open in shallow water

12–22 mintermediate

Pinnacle

Lourenços

A pinnacle topping out at 26 metres with walls to 45

24–60 madvanced

Reef

Prison Break

Two parallel walls sheltering a reef from 5 to 18 m

5–18 mintermediate

Similar dives elsewhere

Reef

Puerto Fenicio

Tarifa & the Strait of Gibraltar · Spain

Shore-accessible rock from 0 to 18 m over a Phoenician port

0–18 mbeginner

Reef

Arena

Madeira · Portugal

Amphitheatre reef in the underwater park, 10–24 m

10–24 mintermediate

Reef

Azul House Reef

Madeira · Portugal

Volcanic caves and coral blocks inside 18 metres

to 18 mbeginner

Reef

Baixa do Cotrim

Porto Santo · Portugal

Easy reef from 8 m on the rock to 22 m on the sand

8–22 mbeginner