CEADS Naval Reserve
Paraty · Brazil
The Centro de Estudos Aplicados ao Desenvolvimento Sustentável (CEADS) is a Brazilian Navy research station on Ilha Grande whose surrounding reefs have been closed to tourism for decades, creating one of the most pristine reef ecosystems on the southeast Brazilian coast. Completely free of fishing and recreational pressure, the reef communities here have recovered to structural complexity and fish biomass rarely seen elsewhere in the region. Access is tightly controlled and limited to research-affiliated groups, making every dive here a genuinely rare scientific and experiential privilege.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
12 to 22 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
18 to 28°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 24 |
| Vis (m) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Green-Headed Tanager
Last confirmed May 22, 2026 · 62 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Brazilian Tanager
Last confirmed Jun 29, 2026 · 49 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Masked Water-Tyrant
Last confirmed Jun 29, 2026 · 41 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Green Sea Turtle
Last confirmed Aug 5, 2025 · 10 records
Very likely
Most dives
Dusky Grouper
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Smooth Trunkfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear