João Valentin

A submerged pinnacle system on Boa Vista's northwestern tip, João Valentin rises from 40 m to within 8 m of the surface and concentrates the island's most impressive big-fish action in one compact site. Hammerhead sharks pass through in small groups from December through March while the pinnacle walls are stacked with dense aggregations of African pompano, rainbow runners, and yellowtail snapper that create a cloud of silver in the mid-water. The nutrient upwelling at the pinnacle also draws manta rays during certain months, and the site occasionally records silvertip sharks and oceanic whitetips drawn by the baitfish concentrations.