Baixa da Barca
38.5333°N 28.6833°W · reef
Baixa da Barca
One of three submerged reefs in the Pico–Faial Channel — massive schools of blue jack mackerel draw devil rays and ocean sunfish to 55 metres of open-Atlantic water.
Overview
Baixa da Barca is one of three submerged rocky reefs in the Pico–Faial Channel, located 2 nautical miles north of the Madalena Islets and approximately 20 minutes by boat from Porto da Madalena. The shallowest peak sits at 20 metres; corridors and platforms extend from 30 to 50 metres, with a maximum depth of 55 metres. The site is reserved for experienced divers due to depth and moderate-to-strong currents.
The defining feature is massive schools of blue jack mackerel (Trachurus picturatus) which aggregate over the reef and attract devil rays (Mobula tarapacana), ocean sunfish (Mola mola), and pelagic predators. The volcanic geology offers interesting swim-throughs and corridors alongside the main pelagic action.
Site Information
- Location: Pico–Faial Channel, 2 NM north of Madalena Islets, Azores
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Maximum Depth: 55 meters
- Typical Visibility: 20–40 meters
- Current: Moderate to strong
- Best Time: June to October
Marine Life
Yellowmouth barracudas (Sphyraena viridensis), Almaco jacks (Seriola rivoliana), Atlantic bonitos (Sarda sarda), dusky groupers (Epinephelus marginatus), forkbeards (Phycis phycis), barred hogfish (Bodianus scrofa), island groupers (Mycteroperca fusca), and red scorpionfish (Scorpaena scrofa). The highlight is massive schools of blue jack mackerel attracting devil rays and ocean sunfish.
Tips and Recommendations
- Advanced Open Water minimum required — depth and currents
- The blue jack mackerel schools are the main attraction; they draw pelagics from the open water column
- Devil rays and ocean sunfish are the headline encounters
- 20 minutes by boat from Porto da Madalena, Pico
- Combine with other Pico–Faial Channel dives (Baixa do Sul, Baixa do Norte) for a full day
Sources: dive.visitazores.com, DiveAzores, Dive Worldwide – Pico. Last updated 2026-07-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
106090 verified species observations (47 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1989 and 2018, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Delphinus delphis
- Calonectris borealis
- Sparisoma cretense
- Larus michahellis
- Coris julis
- Diplodus sargus
- Boops boops
- Labrus bergylta
- Mullus surmuletus
- Stenella frontalis
- Physeter macrocephalus · Sperm whale
- Serranus atricauda
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
Conditions change with the tide and the season. If you have dived this site, share what it was actually like — date, visibility, current, and what you saw. Real, recent reports from divers are exactly what this guide is built to collect.
Send a conditions report ›