BELOW THE PEARL OF THE ATLANTIC | SCUBA DIVING
Cap Garajau was voted by professional divers for the biggest German diving magazine , tauchen , as one of 100 most beautiful diving areas in the world and Manta Diving is located centrally on the domestic reef at Garajau , which drops down to 34 metres . The nearest diving point is only a few metres from the shore . This has a diving depth of between 5 and 25 metres and is suitable for beginners , intermediate and advanced divers . The reef here is like an amphitheatre , with a backdrop of impressive rock formations and a 10 metre tunnel , through which you can swim , flooded with light . Reef inhabitants include a rich variety of shoals of fish , trumpet fish , grouper , barracuda , mackerel , locust lobster and reef lobsters .
Esmeralda lives at Lavafinger , another dive site , where there is a small cave and a steep rock face and at Ponta da Oliveira , the lava flow extends down to 28 metres . Here there is a large cave , 50 metres long , 20 metres wide and 12 metres deep with a large air bubble at the end where divers can surface . In this location , you might
be lucky enough to spot one of the rare Atlantic Monk Seals , which come into the cave to rest and sleep and because it is a protected area , they know they can always find fish . Monk Seals were taken to the Desertas Islands many years ago to breed and to increase their numbers , but now they are coming back to Madeira .
“ If you take a boat out to reach one of the furthest of the diving areas , you often find our ‘ handsome ’ groupers come up when they hear the motors of the boat . They follow us like dogs . They can be up to 1.5 metres in length and you might find 50 to 60 come so close ” says Sittika .
Madeira Divepoint is based at the Hotel Pestana Carlton . The centre is a 5 star PADI dive resort run by Wilfried Pilzer and Ralph Hein , who run many courses from Discover Scuba in the pool or sea to a PADI Adventure Diver and Specialist courses including a Rescue Diver course . The centre has been running for 10 years , is open all year round and has shore and boat diving areas . Right in front of the diving centre is
Pictures courtesy of Manta Dive Centre
an excellent shallow dive area , going from 3 to 12 metres , which is great for beginners as it shelves very gradually .
Their boat takes divers to deeper sites and they have two wrecks , one of which is the infamous dredger , Bowbelle , which ran down and sank The Marchioness on the Thames in London in 1989 . The boat was brought to Madeira after the tragedy , but sadly sunk in 1996 . It is still in perfect condition and sits on the ground at about 30 metres . “ We dive there in the summer every week and it is a very good place to dive ” says Wilfried . The centre also dives in the National Park . “ There is some pretty and colourful coral on the rocks , which is solitary rather than creating a reef and we also have some black coral , some 25 – 35 metres down . There is also black coral around the wrecks ”. Wilfried also runs a second dive school from the Hotel Pestana Palms in Funchal .
Focusnatura is a diving centre / school located in Santa Cruz and at the Hotel Four Views Oasis in the Caniço . This is
12 | Summer 2012 | www . madeira-life . net |