Dusky Grouper Passageway (Corvo Island)

Diving with several large, curious dusky groupers is a fantastic experience. It is made even more impressive when swimming in waters virtually untouched by man. The Dusky Grouper Passageway (Caneiro dos Meros) is located just 100 metres off the remote island of Corvo in a 17km2 marine reserve that was voluntarily created by the people of this paradise island.

Recognised by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve, Corvo features breath-taking landscapes and fantastic diving opportunities. The dusky groupers that inhabit the passageway often exceed 1 metre in length and it is not uncommon to spot five or more during a single dive, often competing for the attention of the divers and following them while they are in the water. As it is a protected area, all sorts of species that are common in the Azores can also be found here; from barred hogfishes and Mediterranean parrotfishes to schools of Almaco jacks, white trevallies and yellowmouth barracudas.

On the horizon, just 10 miles away, the island of Flores emerges from the blue sea. This is the last island in the archipelago – a paradise with numerous waterfalls cutting through verdant cliffs into the sea. As part of the same protected biosphere you can also dive here, giving you access to waters that see very few divers each year despite the unbelievable marine life below the surface.