Is Fernando de Noronha good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 5 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Caieiras, Morro de Fora and Naufrágio do Porto. The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Fernando de Noronha?

The water is usually between 26 °C and 27 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Fernando de Noronha?

Divers regularly see nurse sharks, reef sharks, dolphins, turtles, eagle rays and stingrays.

Fernando de Noronha

Diving in Brazil

12 documented dive sites, 5 of them for Open Water divers. Known for nurse sharks, reef sharks and dolphins.

Best months: Mar–Jul, Oct
Water: 26–27 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced, Technical
Nearest airport: FEN

When to go

Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.

Pick a month

Best
Good
Possible
Closed
Not documented yet

Fernando de Noronha in October

Best season

Air: 27 °C; 26 °C at night
Rain: 20 mm; one of the driest months
Wind: 29 km/h; on average

Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.

Diving runs year-round. Atlantis Divers (local operator) names March–July as the best time (calm seas on both sides of the island), August/September as the windy period with rougher sea and lower visibility, and late December–January as rough on the Mar de Dentro side (dives continue on the Mar de Fora side). PADI and a Brazilian travel blog say visibility is best in September–October; because the local operator flags September as windy, September is shown as good and October as best (when sources disagree we keep the more cautious reading). Nov–Feb is shown as good (no source calls them best; late Dec–Jan rough on the inner side).

Source: reservas.atlantisdivers.com.br

Dive sites in Fernando de Noronha

From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.

Open Water friendly

usual dive down to 18 m5 sites

Reef

down to 17 m

Caieiras

A 17 m dive between three rock formations that is a resting and feeding area for sea turtles.

Open Water
Turtles

Reef

down to 16 m

Morro de Fora

A dive of up to 16 m off Conceição Beach, known for its concentration of fire corals.

Open Water

Wreck

down to 9 m

Naufrágio do Porto

Open Water

down to 16 m

Ilha do Meio

One of the scuba points the national park highlights, alongside Pedras Secas, Cagarras and Ressurreta.

Open Water

down to 12 m

Ressurreta

A shallow 8-12 m site described as ideal for try dives, among the beginner sites of Noronha.

Open Water

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m5 sites

Rock formations

down to 17 m

Pedras Secas

Rock corridors, canyons and arches around 15 m, with barracudas, rays, turtles and lobsters.

Advanced
Turtles

Drift

down to 16 m

Buraco das Cabras

A 16 m drift dive that crosses a channel.

Advanced

Cavern

down to 27 m

Caverna da Sapata

The Sapata caverns are singled out as a hotspot for large rays.

Advanced
Stingrays

Reef

down to 24 m

Laje Dois Irmãos

Advanced
Sharks

Pinnacle

down to 33 m

Cabeço das Cordas

Advanced
Eagle rays

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m1 site

Wall

down to 42 m

Cabeço da Sapata

A wall dropping to 42 m with a wide variety of passing fish reaching the surface.

Experienced

Technical and specialty dives

1 site

Wreck

down to 64 m

Corveta Ipiranga (V-17)

A corvette that sank in 1983 after hitting Cabeça da Sapata, now at about 62 m with most of its structure intact.

Technical

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Reported here, season not documented yet:

Nurse sharks
Reef sharks
Dolphins
Turtles
Eagle rays
Stingrays
Barracuda
Manta rays
Tuna

Where is Fernando de Noronha?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Fernando de Noronha (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: FEN

Fernando de Noronha: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Fernando de Noronha?: The best months to dive Fernando de Noronha are Mar–Jul, Oct. Diving runs year-round. Atlantis Divers (local operator) names March–July as the best time (calm seas on both sides of the island), August/September as the windy period with rougher sea and lower visibility, and late December–January as rough on the Mar de Dentro side (dives continue on the Mar de Fora side). PADI and a Brazilian travel blog say visibility is best in September–October; because the local operator flags September as windy, September is shown as good and October as best (when sources disagree we keep the more cautious reading). Nov–Feb is shown as good (no source calls them best; late Dec–Jan rough on the inner side).
Is Fernando de Noronha good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 5 of the 12 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Caieiras, Morro de Fora and Naufrágio do Porto. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Fernando de Noronha?: The water is usually between 26 °C and 27 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Fernando de Noronha?: Divers regularly see nurse sharks, reef sharks, dolphins, turtles, eagle rays and stingrays.
How do you dive Fernando de Noronha?: The nearest airport is FEN.

About this page

Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash