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Excursions
The richness and beauty of our sites
You are planning to go to the Azores for freediving or snorkeling? Great idea! These wild, volcanic islands nestled in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean offer underwater mountains, arches, tunnels, caves, and a rich fauna ranging from tiny shrimp to majestic mobula rays and blue sharks, located offshore at the prestigious Princess Alice Bank & Condor Bank sites. During long navigations, you may also encounter various species of dolphins and whales.
You will come across a mixture of Mediterranean and tropical fishes, rays breams, sarpas, sea chubs, damfish, blennies, pompanos, needlefish, bogues, several varieties of groupers, amberjacks, bluefish, barracudas, parrotfish, peacock wrasse, blacktail comber, scorpionfish, stingrays, moray eels.
You may also have the chance to see turtles, tunas, bonitos and also wahoos.
As for the flora, it displays colors ranging from yellow to green, passing through blues, mauves and fushias.
We offer several sites adapted to both fun dives and snorkeling. We highly recommend snorkelers attend our Try Freedive class or our Discovery class. This will greatly add to their immersive experience.
Departures are by boat or from the shore. Boat departures are subject to a minimum number of participants and have their own price (please contact us for details).
Each year, from end June to beginning of October, dozens of Mobula tarapacana rays gather around the sea mount "Princess Alice Bank". With a wingspan of 2.5 to 3.5 meters, they can get close to the surface, offering freedivers and snorkelers an unforgettable ocean experience.
Also called "devil rays", these animals are harmless and feed mainly on plankton and small fishes. Each year, divers and freedivers who come to explore the site help identify mobulas through the Manta Catalog program. You too can participate in the census of these individuals by taking a photo of the mobula's spotted belly, which allows it to be identified, just like your fingerprint.
Set aside the whole day, because a great expedition awaits you today, departing from Faial! We usually meet very early in the morning at the marina of Horta to board our partner catamaran*. We then set off for a 2.5-hour boat trip, starting with a magnificent sunrise over Mount Pico. In addition to taking you to the most iconic marine reserve of the Azores, home to mobula rays and many other fish, this expedition offers you the chance to potentially spot dolphins, sei whales, pilot whales, and even sperm whales along the way. Enough to give you beautiful dreams at night!
*subject to availability, otherwise RIB trip . Princess Alice Bank is an offshore site that requires excellent weather conditions. Plan to spend several days or even a week on site to maximize your chances of getting there.
Price of the expedition: €350 - Freediving instructor and guide, lunch, water, torpedo buoy, belt, and weights included.
Each year, from mid-July to mid-October, come and encounter the majestic blue shark! The encounter takes place above a plateau that peaks at a depth of around 200 meters, known as Condor Bank*. Measuring between 2.5 and 4 meters long, this slender and curious shark, with a “golden nose” will give you a thrilling experience you won't soon forget!
The technique used to bring these giants up from the depths is called “smelling.” Imagine a kitchen where a delicious meal is being prepared and the door has been left open... That's it. A perforated container, placed at a depth of about ten meters and containing sardine, bonito, or tuna flesh, releases a scent that gradually attracts one, then two, then several sharks. This technique allows these magnificent creatures to be observed while remaining close to the surface.
Allow about half a day for this expedition to Condor Bank, located about 1 hour and 15 minutes by boat from Faial. A safety briefing explaining the proper behavior and possible approaches to this magnificent predator will be provided, ensuring you have the best possible experience.
*Condor Bank is an offshore site that requires very good weather conditions. Plan to spend several days or even a week on site to maximize your chances of getting there.
Price of the expedition: €250 - Freediving instructor and guide, snack, water, belt, and weights included.