CARAVELAS AND THE ABROLHOS ISLANDS

Imagine swimming with sea turtles and dolphins in clear, shallow waters some 70 kilometers from shore with only a mask and snorkel. Most visitors who come out here are serious about wanting to see marine life in action. And that’s what they get. Considered one of the 10 best spots in the world for scuba diving, the Abrolhos Islands are part of a protected marine park that sits about 70 kilometers off the coast of Brazil, specifically, off the coast near Caraíva. The five islands form a kind of semi-circle in the ocean, having once been the upper rim of a volcano. The floor of the volcano, or the area that was once the inside, is a kind of shallow crater in the middle of the ocean, as shallow as one kilometer in some parts. You can enjoy snorkeling here as much as experienced divers enjoy their deep scuba journeys. Among some of the species you might see are barracudas, sharks, dolphins, turtles, and eels. The islands and marine area around it comprise almost 266 square nautical miles of underwater paradise. Included in this area is the Timbebas coral reef, the largest reef in the south Atlantic, taking up a mere 32 square miles of the park. If that’s not enough, there are several shipwrecks in the area for advanced divers to check out. The islands were perilous to sea captains as the reefs and shallow waters around the islands are deceiving and unexpected. In fact, the name Abrolhos, comes from the contraction of abra olhos (open eyes), given to the island by Portuguese sailors.

As a marine preserve, the area is protected from any type of fishing activities, and visitors are required to adhere to a few basic rules to limit their impact on the place. In the middle of the preserve area is the Island of Santa Barbara, the only inhabited island out there, currently being used by the Brazilian navy and, in spite of its location in the middle of the Archipelago, the island is strictly off-limits.

There Be Whales Here

The only place where the Megaptera novaeangliae whales hang out when the waters of the southern Antarctic region begin to freeze is in the area around the Abrolhos Islands. They arrive around July to give birth in the warm waters of the region, then stick around until December to give their calves a chance to build up the layers of fat that insulate them from the cold waters of the south. The temperature and depth of the Abrolhos waters are perfect for the nursing period.

When the calves are born, they weigh around 1.5 tons and reach as much as five meters in length, whereas a full-grown whale can reach up to 40 tons and 15 meters. In the months July–November, you’re almost guaranteed to encounter these whales, which often leap out of the water to spin in the air. Around 2,000 whales are known to frequent these waters during the mating and nursing season.

Information

You can arrange a trip out to the park from Caravelas via speedboat that leaves early in the morning and returns in the late afternoon. The trip takes 2.5 hours each way. You can also take a slow boat (four hours), or schooner (six hours). The schooner trips often stay overnight in the area and give you a chance to see more of the archipelago. The cost varies depending on the package you arrange, whether or not you’ll be using diving equipment, and how much time you plan to spend. Meals are generally included in the package. Contact Abrolhos Turismo (Praça Dr. Embassay 8, tel. 73/3297-1149, www.abrolhosturismo.com.br) for excursions out to the islands and Paradise Abrolhos (tel. 73/3297-1433, www.abrolhos.com.br) for diving excursions. You can also try Princesa de Abrolhos (tel. 73/3297-1777) for information on scuba diving. Dive schools and guides from Arraial d’Ajuda can also take you out to Abrolhos.