Updated January 15, 2023
This is the thirty-ninth in a series of reviews of the best dive resort locations around the world. In this post, the focus is on Fernando de Noronha, Brazil.
In addition to this series on dive resort locations, the best worldwide liveaboard dive locations and services are reviewed in their own series. To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards / Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.
Have you ever been diving on Fernando de Noronha before? If so, I’d love to know about your experience. What dive shop or liveaboard did you use? Which dive spots are the best and what are the conditions there regarding the visibility, current, water temperature, sealife attractions, etc.? Please post your response in the comments section at the bottom and we’ll all learn something we can use.
Fernando de Noronha Brazil Scuba Diving
Background
Situated 4 degrees south of the equator and 200 miles (320 kilometers) to the northeast of Natal, Brazil are the 21 volcanic islands of Fernando de Noronha. This UNESCO World Heritage Site eco-sanctuary occupies 7.1 square miles (18.4 square kilometers) and has a population of 3,500 all on the main island. To maintain conditions a maximum of 460 visitors is allowed at any given time.
Undersea World
Lying south of the Orinoco and Amazon outflows the life around Fernando de Noronha has a significantly different flavor to it when compared to the Western Atlantic Caribbean Island sites to the north. Relying on African currents to provide nutrients the amount of coral is noticeably less. However, there are 15 species of coral, 230 species of fish, a number of cetaceans, and a rich array of invertebrate life. The undersea terrain has an array of large rocky areas, crevices, swim-throughs, caverns and walls, and a number of wrecks.
Wildlife highlights include moray eels, octopus, sole, crabs, parrotfish, trumpetfish, triggerfish, southern stingrays, Goliath groupers, French angelfish, jacks, huge barracuda, eagle and manta rays, several species of sea turtle, nurse, reef, lemon, hammerhead and whale sharks, mola mola, resident pods of spinner dolphins, and less frequent sightings of pantropical spotted dolphins, short-finned pilot whales, melon-headed whales, and humpback whales.
Seasons and Conditions
Diving is good year-round.
Some of the sites can have a strong current and there is often significant surface chop.
Average air temperature highs are 82-86°F (28-30°C) with water temperature hovering around 80°F (27°C) year-round. A 3 mm wetsuit is the maximum thermal protection likely to be necessary.
The rainy season is from February through July with March through May being the wettest.
Visibility is excellent ranging to 165 feet (50 meters).
There are conditions suitable for all levels of divers including absolute beginners. PADI and NAUI courses are available.
Liveaboard Diving
Fernando de Noronha is not an area renowned for liveaboard diving, but there are many cruises in other nearby areas and around the world. Click here for info on Caribbean liveaboards:
A Selection of the Best Scuba Diving Sites of Fernando de Noronha
Naufragio da Porto: 25 feet (8 meters), Greek cargo ship ran aground, was dynamited, boilers, parts of the engine, propeller and rudder still there, small tunnels, colorful sheltering fish, good night dive, beginner level and snorkeling
Buraco das Cabras: 53 feet (16 meters), drift dive from the outside sea to the inside between Rata and Meio Islands, rocky formations, colorful encrustations of coral and sponges, octopus, lobsters, blackjacks, barracuda, queen angelfish, turtles, manta rays and hammerhead sharks, all levels
Buraco do Inferno: 55 feet (17 meters), a small cave with an air pocket in the ceiling, exterior rocky formations, no current, French angelfish, turtles, stingrays with following trevallies, nurse sharks, manta rays, whale sharks
Pedras Secas: 56 feet (17 meters), famous highly rated site worldwide, rocky formations rising to the surface with arches, canyons, caverns and tunnels, rocky bottom, hydrocorals, sponges, grunts, black margates, squirrelfish, big trevallies, nurse sharks, turtles, surf zone at the surface, all levels
Cabeco Submarino: 66 feet (20 meters), rocky seafloor with sponges and seaweed, which huge green turtles come to feed on, an undersea mountain rising nearly to the surface, various big fish, lobsters, barracuda, huge schools of sea chubs, all levels
Caverna da Sapata: 90 feet (27 meters), huge sandy-bottomed cave, resting stingrays, Goliath groupers, big jewfish, turtles, lots of corals and sponges, experienced level
Cordilheiras: 82 feet (25 meters), rocky formations with nurse and reef sharks, rock hinds, eagle rays, experienced level
Cabeco da Sapata: 143 feet (43 meters), from a sandy bottom a pinnacle rises to nearly the surface, strong currents possible, good visibility, schooling horse-eye jacks, grunts, chromis, triggerfish, sharks, black groupers, snappers, rock hinds, grunts, advanced level
Corveta V17: 207 feet (63 meters), intact naval vessel sitting upright on a sandy bottom, encrusting sponges, pelagics including mackerel, eagle and manta rays, mahi-mahi, whale sharks, penetration possibilities, advanced technical level
Fernando de Noronha Photos
With the diverse macro life, wrecks, sharks, rays, pelagics, spinner dolphins, clear water, beautiful underwater terrain, lots of fish, and beautiful onshore targets, there are many excellent photo opportunities. For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:
Fernando de Noronha Transportation, Lodging, and Dive Shops
Transportation
Flights of less than two hours arrive at Fernando de Noronha Airport daily from Recife, Natal, and Rio.
There is a road that goes around the main island. Car or buggy rental runs $50-70 per day and there is a regular cheap bus service running continuously from one end of the island to the other. Hitchhiking is also common.
Lodging and Dive Shops
There are around 70 inns, resorts, hotels, guest houses, and bed and breakfasts on Fernando de Noronha, and 3 dive shops, two of which are affiliated with PADI and one with NAUI. With the limits on the number of visitors set at 460, it is best to book well in advance.
This website is a good source for the available options and can arrange a booking:
Fernando de Noronha Attractions (aside from scuba diving)
Many of the things to do relate to nature including beautiful sunsets, several world-class beaches, snorkeling, surfing, kayaking, catamaran, boat and buggy tours, dolphin and whale watching, trekking, and parks and marinas. There are several endemic birds, mammals, plants, and a hawksbill turtle nesting area. In addition, numerous landmarks and museums document the rich history and restaurants featuring Brazilian and Italian specialties with an emphasis on seafood await. Nightlife, outside of the restaurants, consists of a couple of bars.
Scuba Diving Trip Insurance
A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation. I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers quality insurance and medical assistance service.
Feedback and Comments
I hope you found this post on Fernando de Noronha’s scuba diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section. I’d love to know of any experience you have diving there. If there is no comments section directly below, click here: >>comments<<
Why oh why did I read this article? I have just last month completed my dive certification and simply cannot get enough. We are quite spoiled here on the east coast of Australia with an abundance of reef and marine life – but now I just want to dive EVERYWHERE! Your post is amazing and such great coverage of what looks to be an amazing country to dive in. The bucket list is added to and Joe’s Scuba Shack is now at the top of my bookmark list!
Thanks so much
Paul
Hi Paul,
I appreciate the kind comments. Once you get started with diving, it is infectious. You want to try all the top dive spots and there are so many it is hard to choose, much less afford.
Yes, please do check some of the other sites I review. There are some in Southern and Western Australia and in the Solomons, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia close enough to your location to take a shot at without crazy flight expense.
Best regards,
Joe
Hi
I am wondering if it easy to get the proper equipment like the oxygen cylinders easily. Can I rent equipment and services? The weather and all the conditions fit the perfect definition of paradise and that is something that it is taken into consideration when we talk about diving, and the pictures are simply amazing.
Hi Shaka,
Thanks a lot for your interest, questions and kind comments.
The dive shops there are all set up with air tanks and complete equipment for rent if you don’t have your own. They offer a full range of dive courses and guiding services. It’s a unique and beautiful spot to go diving.
If you have any further questions or comments, please let me know. To check out the accommodations, please click on the link I provided.
Best regards,
Joe
I am interested in renting a small BCD while there for a woman. Is this size available and do I need to reserve in advance
Hi again, Sharon.
I suggest that you directly contact one of the dive shops at the following address for complete details: https://www.padi.com/dive-shops/brazil/fernando-de-noronha/
Good luck,
Joe
Hello Joe! Your review on Fernando de Noronha is great. From your review and the clear pictures of the place, it is truly a place for diving. Reading through the background, undersea world etc, it shows that it is the right place for scuba diving. The good thing is that you mentioned that diving is good all year round as some of the sites do have strong current and often there is significant surface chop. It is interesting to know that aside from scuba diving there are also other things to do including beautiful sunsets, surfing etc.
Hi Gracen,
I am glad you enjoyed my review. Thanks for your kind comments. It is a unique spot for a scuba vacation with lots of natural beauty and culture to enjoy.
Best regards,
Joe
At first, I didn’t wanna read this post because I thought it irrelevant to me. But changed my mind to read it and found out it an amazing post for people like me who love holidays and travel. Though I have never had any experience with scuba diving, I have only heard about it. This post has inspired me to start saving to have the experience of scuba diving in Brazil. Thank you, Joe, for this information
Hi Kehinde,
Good to see you again. Thanks for your kind comments and support.
This would be a great place for you to learn to dive. The dive shops would all be happy to do the open water course with you and conditions are quite suitable in Fernando.
Best regards,
Joe
What a lovely post! Actually, this is the first time am hearing about Fernando de Noronha, Brazil. From the way you have described it, it would be a very nice and fun place to go on vacation. As you stated that there are 15 species of coral, 230 species of fishes, I would love to see these undersea animals live. Will bookmark your page as I expect to see more of this kind of posts from you subsequently. Thanks.
Hi,
Thanks for your kind comments. I will continue to add to the diving locations I review as time goes on, not to mention my liveaboard and equipment reviews.
Best regards,
Joe
Thanks for making yet another informative review on best locations to go scuba diving. The most interesting part for this location for me is the boat and buggy tours, dolphin and whale watching. With these beautiful locations, you bring it’s hard to tell which will be my next visit on vacation. love your posts. Good work
Hi Seun,
Thanks for your continued support and interest. I hope you get a chance to visit one of these spots and try out scuba diving before too long.
Best regards,
Joe
I again found your article useful and interesting. I keep thinking about getting started in scuba diving but haven’t quite been able to arrange it yet. I have seen the photos and video of the best scuba diving that you have presented in your reviews and it’s just awesome. I can hardly wait to visit some of these places with my family and loved ones the next time I get a chance.
Hi Kenechi,
Thanks for your continued support. I hope you are able to pull the trigger and get started in scuba diving. I think you and your family would really enjoy Fernando de Noronha.
Best regards,
Joe
Do you know of any resorts that have a dive shop on the premises or specializes in dive trips? We are looking at a group trip of 10-20 people. Thanks.
Hi Mike.
Thanks for your interest. I am not aware of any resorts that have a dive shop on the premises in Fernando de Noronha. The lodging available through the Agoda link is all reasonably priced but none are offering any dive service.
Atlantis Divers at https://www.atlantisdivers.com.br/en is well equipped for dive tours and even do liveaboards on two different vessels. I suggest checking them out and making an inquiry there. I am not sure of their situation regarding Covid and any travel or health restrictions at present.
Let me know how things go.
All the best.
Joe
Very nice review of Noronha. Actually I went there for the first time in 2021. I mostly went snorkeling but I did an entry live dive there. It’s interesting to hear your perspective on Noronha vs other locations, e.g., Red Sea, Mauritius etc…overall I found Noronha to be very rich in terms of “large animal” marine life (sharks, dolphins, turtles, rays etc…) but as you mentioned less coral vs Caribbean.
Hi Benjamin.
Thanks for your kind comments and details of your personal experience there. Not many people make it to Noronha and your feedback is valuable.
All the best.
Joe
Is it possible to rent a BCD while there in a small size?
Hi Sharon.
It is standard for practically any dive shop to have a range of BCD sizes available for rent. The main shops in Fernando de Noronha are set up professionally. I wouldn’t worry about that.
Let me know how you like the diving there.
All the best,
Joe
Great review BTW, but i am interested in “crossing the equator” on the water. Do any of the Dive shops on Fernando offer this?
Hi Henry.
Thanks for your kind comment and question.
I am not aware of which if any of the dive shops can “cross the equator.” If that isn’t possible, perhaps one of the tour services will do it. You can link to all the dive shops and tour outfits at this address: https://bit.ly/3Z1BsIM
I hope this helps.
Good luck,
Joe