Reef Explorers
Divers on the Princess Alice Bank, Azores
Experienced≤40 m

Princess Alice Bank (Banco Princesa Alice)

Dive site in Azores, Portugal

Offshore seamount 3 hours from Pico/Faial, rising to about 35 m, known for devil rays and visibility up to 40 m.

Usual dive
35 m
Deepest point
60 m
Level
Experienced
Best months
Jul–Oct
Entry
By boat
Current
Strong

Photo: Waielbi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The dive

A pinnacle and pelagic dive from a boat. Known for mobula rays and schooling pelagics.

Who it's for

Recommended minimum: Experienced (Deep Specialty, N3).

  • CurrentCurrent can be strong; you need good air management and buoyancy.
  • DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
  • Strong current: dive with a local guide and carry a surface marker buoy.
  • The site goes deeper than 40 m: Experienced divers stay above 40 m.

Conditions

Dive type
Pinnacle, Pelagic
Environment
Open water
Water
Sea water

What you might see

  • Mobula rays
  • Schooling pelagics
  • Groupers

Season in Azores

  • Best
  • Good
  • Possible
  • Closed
  • Not documented yet

Best months: Jul–Oct.

Source: zubludiving.com

Where is the Azores?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Azores (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

The point shows the Azores area, not the exact dive site.

About this page

Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.

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Photo credits