August 2009
Facts
All year round, you can have great quality dives thought to be the most magnificent of the South American continent. The water has a pleasant average temperature of 26°C. The visibility is outstanding, ranging from 25 to 45 meters. During the months of September and October, the visibility is at its best. You won’t find there coral or microscopic life as it exists in the Indian Ocean. The underwater world of Noronha is interesting mainly for its volcanic rock formations, narrow passageways, tunnels, and caves, making it a very special place. Marine species are generally very large and quite numerous. It is not uncommon to encounter dolphins underwater and if you miss them there, you can often see them swimming alongside boats.
Sapata cave
The magnificent Sapata cave has a very wide entrance with which a little imagination makes you think of a mouth. A large grouper lives within the entrance and although it still appears to be quite young, it already weighs over a hundred kilograms (220 pounds).
Fauna
During each dive, large stingrays are visible. Barrel sponges are very common.
Reef sharks and nurse sharks can be met mainly in the superb reef of Pedras Secas. Sometimes, during a night dive, you can even come across a turtle sleeping under a rock. There are many schools of fish and on occasion you can see Manta rays and hammerhead sharks.
Wrecks
The “Corvette Ipiranga V17” wreck is that of a Brazilian Navy warship that sank in 1982 after hitting a rock that did not appear on any map. She drifted and sank during an eight hour strech reaching the seabed at sixty-two meters deep (203 feet), in perfectly straight position. She remains in excellent condition.
Diving into the wreck requires Trimix, which can be relatively expensive, and requires very accurate preliminary training. On the wreck’s deck, there is still a heavy machine gun.
In the Noronha’s port, there is another wreck which is accessible by snorkeling as it is only about 6 meters deep (20 feet). These are the partial remains of a Greek ship named “Eleana Stathatos” that sank in 1929.
Fernando de Noronha is a model of environmental preservation. The tourist industry remains limited due to the small infrastructure and means of access; there are only two medium sized planes landing there every day. This place has a unique charm as a result of all these factors and this makes it a true jewel of nature and a true delight to the eyes.
Dive clubs and tourism info
There are only 3 dive clubs in the small archipelago.
The nicest and most professional one, with the best ships, is Atlantis Divers owned by Patrick Muller
The two others are Noronha Divers and Aguas Claras
If you don’t speak Portuguese, take a lexicon with you to Noronha because locals don’t speak English. You can also get in touch with Adriana Schmidt from “Your Way” travel agency in Noronha. She’s a great guide and perfectly fluent in English!
She can help you for any kind of reservation on the island as well.
Cell Noronha 1 (Thais – Operations): 55-81-9984 6964
Cell Noronha 2 (Adriana – Reservations): 55-81-9949 1087
msn & email: adriana@yourway.com.br
skype: dricanoronha