Formigas Islets

Vila Franca do Campo · Azores · Portugal

The Formigas Islets are a chain of small rocky outcrops and submerged pinnacles rising from the Atlantic floor approximately forty kilometres east of Sao Miguel, the largest island in the Azores. The islets themselves barely break the surface, low and wave-battered, but beneath the waterline they anchor a submarine reef system that supports one of the most impressive concentrations of pelagic life in the North Atlantic. The two-hour boat crossing from Vila Franca do Campo builds anticipation. The Azorean coastline drops away, and the open Atlantic stretches in every direction. Common dolphins frequently ride the bow wave, and the occasional loggerhead turtle drifts past. As the Formigas appear on the horizon, the water colour shifts from coastal blue to deep oceanic indigo. The diving centres on submerged pinnacles surrounding the islets, rocky seamount structures rising from depth to within eight metres of the surface. These pinnacles act as biological magnets, concentrating nutrients and life in the otherwise featureless mid-ocean. Schools of yellowmouth barracuda circle the peaks in silver spirals. Massive dusky groupers hold station in rocky crevices with the confidence of animals in a long-established reserve. The mobula rays are the signature experience. From July through September, schools of hundreds of Mobula tarapacana gather around the seamount, believed to be one of the largest such aggregations in the North Atlantic. The rays cruise in loose formations, their diamond-shaped bodies rippling through the water column in waves that seem choreographed. Encountering a school of two hundred rays at fifteen metres, with nothing but blue water below and the pinnacle rising beside you, is one of diving's truly transcendent experiences. Blue sharks and occasionally shortfin mako sharks cruise the surrounding waters, drawn by the same productivity. These encounters are opportunistic, but their frequency speaks to the health of this marine ecosystem. The Formigas marine reserve, protected since 1988, represents the Azores at their most wild. The conditions demand respect: currents can be strong, weather can change, and the nearest harbour is two hours away. But for advanced divers, Formigas delivers big animal encounters rivalling far more famous destinations.