Rostro de Cao
37.7433°N 25.6398°W · reef
Rostro de Cao
A small volcanic islet off São Miguel’s south coast near São Roque — named for its dog-face rock profile above the waterline.
Overview
Rostro de Cão (Dog’s Face) is a coastal volcanic islet and rock formation on the south coast of São Miguel, located near São Roque between Ponta Delgada and Lagoa. The islet is named for a natural rock formation resembling a dog’s face, visible from the coastline. The surrounding underwater terrain consists of basalt volcanic rock typical of the Azores south coast. The area is accessible by boat from Ponta Delgada.
Site Information
- Location: Near São Roque, south coast, São Miguel, Azores
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Maximum Depth: 20 meters
- Typical Visibility: 10–25 meters
- Current: Variable
- Best Time: May to October
Marine Life
No site-specific marine life records found. Typical south-coast Azorean reef species expected — groupers, wrasse, octopus, and moray eels on the volcanic basalt reef. Regional species data should not be attributed specifically to this site.
Tips and Recommendations
- Named for the dog-face profile visible in the rock formation above water
- Close to Ponta Delgada — easy day-trip access
- Volcanic basalt underwater landscape typical of the Azores south coast
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
14107 verified species observations (34 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1911 and 2020, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Delphinus delphis
- Tursiops truncatus
- Stenella frontalis
- Balaenoptera physalus
- Physeter macrocephalus · Sperm whale
- Caretta caretta
- Grampus griseus
- Calonectris borealis
- Larus michahellis
- Balaenoptera borealis
- Sterna
- Sardina pilchardus
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.
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