Since Fernando de Noronha is located in the middle of the open ocean, pelagic fish and mammals treat it as a refuge, which is great for divers who want an opportunity to get up close to them. The dive sites found among these islands include shipwrecks, canyons, volcanic rock formations, and coral structures. The rock formations are usually crowded with colorful and photogenic encrusting sponges. Another reason why diving Fernando de Noronha is so spectacular is because of its great visibility -- sometimes it exceeds 40m!

Most dive sites at this archipelago can be accessed by boat as a day trip from the mainland, but this seriously limits the number of dive sites that can be explored (there are so many great ones!) As a result, liveaboard dive trips to Fernando de Noronha are common, and it is the best way to take advantage of what these islands have to offer. 
 

In general, Fernando de Noronha can be dived all year round, but the best conditions are from August to November on the northern side of the main island, which lines up with the dry season (September through December). The best conditions on the southern side of the main island are from January through March; although this overlaps with the rainy season (January through August), the majority of the region’s rainfall takes place in March and April. 

Keep in mind that only a limited number of visitors are allowed to visit Fernando de Noronha at a given time, so book well in advance!
 

Fernando de Noronha has a diverse range of diving opportunities, from exploring caves, caverns, and tunnels, to touring reefs, shipwrecks, and dramatic rock formations. This allows many types of diving, including cave-, reef-, wreck-, drift-, and night-diving. Due to the islands’ protected status as a National Marine Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the floral and faunal biodiversity of these islands is breathtaking. Liveaboard diving is common when diving this archipelago, since there is too much to see for just a day trip!

As a protected National Marine Park, Fernando de Noronha is inhabited by a wide array of species of macro- to megafauna. One such notable inhabitant is the spinner dolphin; in fact, there is a permanent wild dolphin colony that lives among the islands. These spinner dolphins are actually researched and protected by the “Spinner Dolphin Project”, whose goals are to improve and involve young adults in education, environmental preservation, conservation, and ecotourism. 

Aside from the spinner dolphins, divers can expect to encounter reef sharks, sea turtles, schooling barracudas, stingrays, manta rays, eagle rays, and colorful fishes. 
 

The islands of Fernando de Noronha that are part of the marine park boast several stunning dive sites, such as Naufragio do Porto, Ilha do Meio, Pedras Secas, Ressuret, and Ipiranga. 

The “Naufragio do Porto” dive site is a shipwreck located off the northeast coast of the main island. With a maximum depth of 14m, this dive site is suitable for beginner divers.

“Ilha do Meio” is located to the east of the main island, just off the northwest coast of one of the smaller islands in the archipelago. This dive site consists of three caves that are inhabited by shrimp, anemones, fish, moray eels, and lobsters. 

“Ressureta” is just 500m northeast from the “Ilha do Meio” dive site, off the north coast of the same island. It is a great site for drift-diving and night-diving, but has much to offer for novice divers as well. 

“Pedras Secas” is a rock formation located about 3km east off the northeastern tip of the main island of Fernando de Noronha that contains caves, tunnels, canyons, and arches. Divers will come across squirrelfish, black margate, grunts, sea turtles, and sand sharks. 

The wreck of the Ipiranga is another must-see, though it is meant for advanced divers only. This Brazilian Navy Corvette (small warship) sank in October 1983 after hitting a large rock in the waters off of Ponta da Sapata on the west side of the main island of Fernando de Noronha. The ship has all of its internal and external structures intact, as well as the belongings of the crew. With a maximum depth of 60m, this dive should only be attempted by those with deep-diving experience.