Diving in Santiago
The platform around the island of Santiago does not stretch that far, which makes this island ideal for proficient divers looking for the deep blue. Nonetheless, if you are a beginner you can also take advantage of some of the beautiful sites that surround the island, especially the ones close to the lovely town of Tarrafal.
King Fisher Reef: Lying in the bay directly in front of the hotel, there is the perfect spot for beginner divers to start their underwater adventures. Here you reach a maximum depth between 6 to 8 m and the sandy floor, punctuated with a few rocks here and there, guarantee that you will be able to train the basic maneuvers and get accustomed to the whole environment before embarking on deeper journeys.
Chinese Wall: This wall starts where the bay of Tarrafal opens up into the sea. Although it is not a very high wall – the maximum depth is 18 m – it is very long, making this an extremely enjoyable spot even for beginners. The variety of frog-fish, nudibranchs, octopuses and arrow-crabs will make your photos look amazing, with very little effort.
Ponta d’Atum: In portuguese this name means “Tuna Point”, because of the tuna populations that lived in these waters. Nowadays you can still see some tunas, although most of the specimens have moved into deeper waters. In these overhangs, which go as deep as 25 m, you will be able to spot many West African Tang, as well as the famous trumpet-fish. For those who want to experience cave diving, there is also a cave covered in yellow coral.
Atum Rocks: Diving away from the overhangs of Ponta d’Atum, you will find a rock – maximum depth of 35 m – where you will spot many schools of sardines that are usually hunted by tunas and mackerel. Excelent spot to see many different species of fish and maybe some hunting action, if you’re lucky!
Lighthouse: From King Fisher bay, you can reach this spot by boat in about 10/15 minutes. It has a maximum depth of 25 m and consists of a few loose rocks that created the perfect environment for many schools of different fishes to gather. File-fish, porcupine-fish trumpet and trigger-fish, as well as morays and different lobsters, are a few of the species you may encounter around here.
Three rocks: This spot is so amazing and rich, that you will have to come back to it at least three different times. The possibilities are endless: walls, overhangs, columns and passage-ways which make the perfect environment for tunas and mackerel to hunt. The current is extremely strong and the maximum depth is 40 m, so this spot is not recommended for beginners.