Azores — Faial and Pico
Portugal · Atlantic Ocean
The mid-Atlantic seamounts off Faial and Pico are a world-class big-animal destination, with Princess Alice Bank drawing mobula rays, blue sharks, mako sharks and oceanic whitetips from June through October. Volcanic geology, sperm whale encounters and rich cold-water reefs round out one of Europe's most adventurous dive circuits.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is fairly quiet.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
32 species across the dive sites here
Azores Chaffinch
Seen 23 days ago
at Monte da Guia
Sperm whale
Seen 24 days ago
at Princesa Sperm Whale Corridor
Vulnerable
Loggerhead sea turtle
Seen 24 days ago
at Monte da Guia
Vulnerable
Dusky grouper
Seen 1 month ago
at Monte da Guia
Madeira Lizard
Seen 1 month ago
at Monte da Guia
Least concern
Cory'S Shearwater
Seen 1 month ago
at Monte da Guia
Least concern
Portuguese Man O' War
Seen 1 month ago
at Monte da Guia
Common bottlenose dolphin
Seen 1 month ago
at Princesa Sperm Whale Corridor
Least concern
East Atlantic Sally Lightfoot Crab
Seen 1 month ago
at Baixo do Sul
Risso's dolphin
Seen 3 months ago
at Princesa Sperm Whale Corridor
Least concern
Canary damselfish
Seen 3 months ago
at Baixo do Sul
Least concern
Chromis
Seen 3 months ago
at Pico Baixo
Least concern
Shortfin mako shark
Seen 11 months ago
at Faial Caldeira Wall
Endangered
Atlantic spotted dolphin
Seen 11 months ago
at Princesa Sperm Whale Corridor
Least concern
Greater amberjack
Seen Jul 2025
at Monte da Guia
Least concern
Atlantic barracuda
Seen Jul 2025
at Pico Baixo
Least concern
Blue shark
Seen Jul 2025
at Pico Baixo
Near threatened
Moray eel
Seen Jul 2025
at Faial Caldeira Wall
Least concern
Yellow cluster anemone
Seen Jul 2025
at Monte da Guia
Black coral
Seen Jun 2025
at Pico Baixo
Atlantic horse mackerel
Seen year round
at Baixo do Sul
Vulnerable
Atlantic lobster
Seen year round
at Faial Caldeira Wall
Least concern
Breaksea urchin
Seen year round
at Banco Dom João de Castro
Dusky damselfish
Seen year round
at Pico Baixo
Least concern
Schooling barracuda
Seen year round
at Banco Dom João de Castro
Least concern
Black scabbardfish
Seasonal visitor
at Banco Dom João de Castro
Least concern
Giant manta ray
Seasonal visitor
at Baixo do Sul
Endangered
Mobula ray
Seasonal visitor
at Princess Alice Bank
Critically endangered
Oceanic whitetip shark
Seasonal visitor
at Princess Alice Bank
Critically endangered
Bluefish
Rare sighting
at Princess Alice Bank
Vulnerable
Sicklefin Devil Ray
Rare sighting
at Princess Alice Bank
Critically endangered
Yellowmouth Barracuda
Rare sighting
at Princess Alice Bank
Least concern
Dive sites
Princess Alice Bank
mobula ray · blue shark · shortfin mako shark · oceanic whitetip shark
Monte da Guia
dusky grouper · greater amberjack · yellow cluster anemone · loggerhead sea turtle
Princesa Sperm Whale Corridor
sperm whale · atlantic spotted dolphin · risso's dolphin · common bottlenose dolphin
Baixo do Sul
giant manta ray · black coral · atlantic horse mackerel · canary damselfish
Faial Caldeira Wall
blue shark · dusky grouper · atlantic lobster · moray eel
Pico Baixo
sperm whale · blue shark · atlantic barracuda · chromis