Azores · Portugal · Pinnacle
Sabrina
The pinnacle left by the 1811 eruption, summit at 22 m
In 1811 a submarine volcano near Ponta da Ferraria erupted and built an island that stood 90 to 100 metres above the sea before the water took it apart within months. What is left is a pinnacle at 22 metres, dived for the large pelagics that pass over it, with volcanic gas still rising from the ground where the vent opened.
Also known as Sabrina Island.
Where it is and how deep
37.8680° N, 25.8680° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is on the summit of the old vent, a pinnacle at 22 metres, and the shape of the ground is the point of the site: this is the remains of a volcano that briefly reached the surface and was worn back down by the sea. Depth is modest by the standards of the island's outer sites and the profile is simple, so the time is spent over the top of the structure watching the water around it.
Large pelagics are what it is dived for, passing over and around the pinnacle rather than holding on it, and rays are named among them. The ground where the eruption happened runs to 75 metres and volcanic gas still rises from it, which is reason enough to stay with the guide and on the structure rather than following the bottom away from the summit.
Background
The submarine eruption began on 10 June 1811 about 2 kilometres off the coast of São Miguel, near Ponta da Ferraria, and threw up an island that kept growing through July. By 19 June it stood an estimated 20 metres above sea level and measured roughly a kilometre across, and at its peak it reached between 90 and 100 metres in height. Erosion took it apart as fast as it had arrived: by October 1811 the water had dismantled the new island entirely, leaving the pinnacle that divers visit now.
Marine life and season
- Mobula rays
| 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.
Know before you go
- The ground where the 1811 vent opened runs to 75 metres and still releases volcanic gas; the dive stays on the 22-metre summit rather than following the bottom down.
Questions divers ask
Why is the dive site called Sabrina?+
It is the remains of the volcano that erupted on 10 June 1811 and built a temporary island off Ponta da Ferraria. The island reached 90 to 100 metres in height before the sea destroyed it by October that year, and the 22-metre pinnacle is what survives.
Sources
- Sabrina — Scubago
- Sabrina Island (Azores) — Wikipedia
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A north-coast volcanic wall running to 35 metres
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