Banana Beach Wall
Príncipe Island · São Tomé and Príncipe
A vertical wall beginning at 6 m and dropping beyond 40 m on the northwest coast, within swimming distance of Príncipe's most famous beach. The wall face is covered in black coral trees and large orange and yellow barrel sponges. Pygmy seahorses have been documented on sea fans here, and the resident population of green turtles is unusually dense. Upwellings from the wall bring occasional manta rays and eagle rays into the blue water off the face.
Conditions
Depth
6 to 40 m
Advanced depths
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
22 to 28°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Green Turtle
Last confirmed Jan 25, 2025 · 2 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Hawksbill Turtle
Last confirmed Aug 9, 2025 · 1 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Pygmy Seahorse
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Black Coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Barrel Sponge
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Giant Moray Eel
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Porcupinefish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Manta Ray
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear