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Arcos da Formosinha

4
General Rating 
12345
Good
Marine Life Rating 
12345
Very Good
Seafloor/Scenery Rating 

Description

Access 

Boat

15 min do Porto da Madalena

Depth

Average Depth 
12m
Maximum Depth 
18m
Currents 
Weak
Dive Types 
Coastal
Cave
Ideal place for 
Night dive
Underwater photography
Diving Baptism
Diving Experience 
All Divers

Arcos da Formosinha

The Arcos da Formosinha (Formosinha Arches) is a set of arches at low depth with very unusual marine diversity.

Located 150 metres out from the coastline, northeast of the town of Madalena, the dive starts right at the top of the reef (8 metres deep). A carpet of algae shelters colourful Mediterranean rainbow wrasses (Coris julis) and ornate wrasses (Thalassoma pavo). From here it is possible to see the first of the arches, with the two smaller arches visible in the distance.

Skirting the reef, you can spot the Azores chromis (Chromis limbata) and the Canary damsel (Abudefduf luridus), along with several species of moray eels and nudibranchs.

Schools of white trevallies (Pseudocaranx dentex) and round stingrays (Taeniura grabata) are usually spotted at greater depths (close to 18 metres).