Diving the Azores: The Wild Heart of the Atlantic
April 22, 2025
The Azores, often called the "Hawaii of the Atlantic," is an archipelago of nine islands renowned for offering some of the best diving in the world. Formed by underwater volcanoes, the landscape is truly otherworldly—marked by craters, peaks, valleys, and a coastline shaped by ancient volcanic activity. As a significant cultural and bioresearch hub to both Portugal and Europe as a whole, we were certain we would uncover important conservation efforts aimed at protecting this vast blue wilderness. Simply put, diving the Azores promised to be the trip of a lifetime, and quickly became a "must" on our expedition trail.
When you dive into blogs and travel guides about exploring and diving the Azores, you will find glowing descriptions of each island—covering everything from local cuisine and culture to the incredible marine encounters you are bound to have.
São Miguel and Santa Maria, the two closest islands to mainland Portugal, are the most popular with tourists, due to their easy accessibility. Terceira is another crowd favorite, while Faial and Pico attract visitors for their regular whale and dolphin sightings.
São Jorge, meanwhile, is known for its epic waves that only pro surfers dare ride—a hot topic among the locals. Then there is Graciosa, Corvo, and Flores, the most remote and untouched of the islands, where many say you need to go to truly feel "off the grid."
You will also read about the stunning hydrangeas, whose blues, whites, and purples blanket the islands, giving them an almost otherworldly feel. With all this natural wonder, it is no surprise that four of these islands are now recognized as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves.
The people, the isolated location, and the volcanic landscapes—including the famous calderas, crater lakes, lava caves, and hot springs—make diving the Azores unforgettable. But on the archipelago, three of its islands piqued our interest most: São Miguel, Pico, and Faial.
In our research, we found glamorous shots of ocean life pop up in nearly every article and blog, casually showing off the edges of the Azores as if it is just everyday life here. But what you do not see or read about is the reality of visiting this far-flung, incredibly special place—and it is a facet of the Azores that really needs to be better understood within our diving community.
Diving the Azores: The Realities of Remote Ocean Dives
To truly navigate the Azores, we teamed up with two of the local dive centers who know these islands inside and out—both on land and at sea. And they did not hold back in sharing the realities of diving the Azores. Best Spot Azores Dive Center, based on São Miguel, is one of the premier operators that helped put scuba diving on the map in the Azores.
For over 30 years, Bruno Sérgio (an SSI Master Instructor and Marine Biologist) and his team have explored these waters, dedicating much of their time to conserving and protecting them. Bruno repeatedly warned us that in the Azores, you can experience four seasons in a single day. One minute, it is raining, and fog blankets the volcanic landscape. The next, it is sunny and perfect. This makes daily planning tricky—you cannot necessarily lock in your dives far in advance.
Then, there is the Atlantic Ocean itself. This ocean is formidable, with conditions that differ greatly from the warmer, shallow reef sites many divers are used to. The Atlantic is much colder, its currents can be intense, and visibility can be limited, especially on the deeper dives that are so famed around the Azores.
The Gulf Stream brings strong upwellings of nutrient-rich waters to the islands, attracting an abundance of megafauna such as 28 different species of whales and dolphins, 200 sharks of all kinds (with the most common being mako and blue sharks), rays, and massive schools of fish that excite any level of diver.
The food chain here is thriving! But as Bruno points out, this also means you need to come prepared - or be ready to train to become a skilled, cautious diver capable of handling the challenges of diving the Atlantic Ocean.
Because of the incredible marine activity here, whaling was a significant part of the Azorean culture for centuries, with the practice only ending in 1987! More recently, funding has begun to support conservation, restoration, and scientific research on the islands when it comes to whales, dolphins, sharks, and rays in particular.
For example, The Ocean Azores Foundation, collaborating closely with the likes of Best Spot Dive Center, has been advocating for better practices, particularly around swimming with dolphins and whales. This invasive form of tourism is slowly being phased out, and swimming with whales is now entirely prohibited without obtaining a fairly rare permit. Led by Ali Bullock, The Foundation has been pushing for tourism reform and responsible practices on the islands, and it seems real change is finally being considered and, slowly but surely, implemented.
So when you see those glam shots of divers having close encounters with wildlife, know that this content is usually captured by professionals with the proper permits—people who follow sustainable practices in partnership with organizations like the Foundation who are working tirelessly across all levels of governance to establish guidelines for in-water encounters.
In fact, the Foundation has created an open-access media house, allowing everyone to access incredible underwater footage taken around the Azores without forcing these encounters aggressively through ecocide tourism. The goal is to set the right expectations for visitors so they can appreciate nature for what it truly is—wild, unpredictable, and certainly not on our terms.
Bruno explained that, like everywhere else in the world, the Azores are experiencing shifting seasons and weather patterns due to climate change. However, due to their unique location in the mid-Atlantic, these islands feel some of the effects of climate change more intensely than other parts of the world. In 2023, the islands saw their worst summer on record, with relentless rain resulting in very few opportunities to go diving the Azores.
Yet when we arrived this October, our experience was entirely reversed. During a time that had been prime for diving the Azores the year before, we were met with heavy rain, torrential winds, canceled dive days, and plenty of last-minute plan changes.
Despite the challenges, we managed to squeeze in a few dives and gain a better sense of what was at stake across the three islands we targeted. Bruno and Ali reminded us over and over that being a global diver means taking whatever ocean opportunities come your way and being grateful for any time spent out on the water at all.
Leaving São Miguel, we took a quick hour-long flight to Faial, where we met up with Sea Riders. This newly formed dive operation is led by the larger-than-life personality, Alba Iglesias, an SSI Instructor, Skipper, and Marine Biologist. Like Bruno, Alba’s advice was straightforward: while the water was crystal clear, the ocean swells from recent storms made diving the Azores a challenge.
So, instead, we spent time touring the island and seeing for ourselves why so many tourists have been drawn to these islands in recent years. We then hopped on a short, thirty-minute ferry ride to Pico, hoping for better luck, but were met with the same conditions. The four seasons seemed to follow us everywhere, with only brief patches of sunlight allowing us to explore the island’s topside.
When is the best time for diving the Azores?
If you are looking for the best conditions and most reliable time for diving the Azores, the summer months from June to September are ideal. During this time, the waters are warmer, marine life is abundant, and conditions are generally more stable. However, like anywhere in the world, nature has its own rhythms, and even in summer, the weather can be unpredictable.
Visiting in the shoulder season, as we did in October, offers a different kind of adventure. Fewer tourists mean more space to explore, quieter dive sites, and a chance to experience the raw beauty of the Azores on your own terms. The ever-changing conditions add an element of excitement—each dive is unique, making the encounters you have even more special.
Choosing to visit outside peak season also allows for deeper connections with local dive operators, helping to support a more balanced and sustainable tourism flow. Portugal and the Azores have seen a significant rise in visitors, and by diving the Azores responsibly, we can contribute to preserving the island’s incredible culture and environment rather than overwhelming it.
Diving the Azores is an unforgettable experience—one that rewards flexibility, respect for nature, and an openness to adventure. The Atlantic here is powerful and untamed, and the locals know it best. Trust their guidance, embrace the journey, and you will witness the Azores at their most breathtaking.
If you are ready to dive into this extraordinary destination, reach out to Alba, Bruno, or Ali before you go—they will give you the insights you need to make your trip smooth, rewarding, and truly memorable.
Ready to explore the incredible marine life of the Azores? Start planning your dive trip today.
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Andi Cross is an SSI Ambassador and lead of the Edges of Earth expedition, highlighting stories of positive ocean progress and how to explore the world more consciously. To keep up with the expedition, follow the team on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and their website.