diving7seas
secure the boat at the official mooring buoys. These form part of the conservation plan for what was once Portugal’ s first marine protected area. One reason for its establishment was to halt the degradation of the seabed.
Madeira is the tip of an underwater mountain range that extends to a depth of 4,000 metres. Not only can you spot groupers, moray eels and, with a bit of luck, monk seals, but deep-sea fish also make regular appearancest. It is no coincidence that the aforementioned dive centre bears the name‘ Manta’.
Although – Esmeralda could( almost...) just as easily serve as the heraldic animal. The giant brown moray eel with sky-blue eyes has( as of 2026) been living for a staggering 40 years in the small cave system on the house reef directly in front of Stefan Maier’ s dive centre.
In short: it is not just the giant manta rays that captivate the divers. Apart from the seals and groupers as mentioned above, there are also endemic corals and much more. Even whales and dolphins can be spotted at the edge of the reserve. Boat traffic is rigidly res-
Typical bottom-dwelling species of the Eastern Atlantic: electric rays( left) and emperor lobsters( right) – in this image shown surrounded by a swarm of newly hatched fish larvae
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