Azores · Portugal · Wall · Reef · Cave & cavern
Ilhéu de Vila Franca
Passages in the wall of a protected volcanic islet
The Cozinha is the dive on the outside of Vila Franca islet, the eroded remains of a volcanic cone with a crater open to the sea. The wall is broken by passages that run up to 10 metres along the rock, and below it the bottom of small rock formations mixed with sand is at 18 metres. The islet and its waters have been a nature reserve since 1983.
Also known as Baixa da Cozinha, Ilhéu de Vila Franca - Cozinha.
Where it is and how deep
37.7053° N, 25.4410° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive works the rock of the islet rather than the crater inside it. Many passages run along the wall, up to a depth of 10 metres against the rock, so a good part of the dive is spent threading them and coming back out onto the face. The maximum depth is 18 metres, which leaves a long bottom time for that kind of slow, repeated work along one piece of coast.
Below the wall the ground is small rock formations mixed with sand. Groupers and moray eels hold in the stone, greater amberjack pass along the face, stingrays lie on the sand, and nudibranchs and parrotfish work the shallower rock. Sea urchins and starfish cover the rock in between, so the close-up looking is as good as the swim-throughs.
Background
The islet is the exposed remains of a Surtseyan volcanic cone of phreatomagmatic origin, heavily eroded by the sea and by seismic forces, and it contains a crater open to the sea and filled with water that forms a natural harbour. Its eastern side, where this dive is, was historically used for butchering dolphins and is still known locally as the Baixa da Cozinha, the kitchen reef. In 1983 the islet and the waters around it to a depth of 30 metres were designated a nature reserve, and in 2004 the protected water was extended to 350 metres all around the coastline.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Trevally & jacks
- Stingrays
- Nudibranchs
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
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.
Dive videos
Ilheu Vila Franca Diving · Joe Carvalho on YouTube
Ilheu da Vila Underwater - Vila Franca do Campo - Azoren · Michael Miehle on YouTube
Sources
- Ilhéu de Vila Franca - cozinha — Scubago
- Vila Franca Islet — Wikipedia
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