Diving at Santa Maria: Ambrósio, the Formigas and when the rays come

Most people who fly to Santa Maria with a dive bag come for the devil rays that gather in groups over a reef a short boat ride from the island. Whether you see them depends on the month and the sea on the day. Which of the island's two big offshore sites you can dive depends on your certification.

Baixa do Ambrósio is a reef about 3 miles off the coast. The official Azores dive portal puts it 40 minutes by boat from the Vila do Porto marina, with an average depth of 10 m and a maximum of 50 m. It is a protected marine area, and divers go for the groups of devil rays that gather over it in summer. Almaco jacks, barracudas, bluefish, round stingrays and the occasional ocean sunfish share the water. The portal rates it as open to less experienced divers and even to snorkellers, but lists the currents as moderate to strong, so how easy it feels depends on the day.

The Ilhéus das Formigas are eight bare rocks between Santa Maria and São Miguel, about 37 km from Santa Maria, with a lighthouse just south of them. Together with the Dollabarat reef nearby, they have been a nature reserve since 1988 and are now part of the Santa Maria Natural Park. From Vila do Porto the boat takes about 70 minutes, against about 150 minutes from Ponta Delgada, so Santa Maria is the closest place to start from. The average depth is 20 m and the maximum 60 m, and the wreck of the Olympia lies at 30 to 50 m on the south-west side. Tunas, wahoos, groupers, smooth hammerhead and Galapagos sharks, devil rays and mantas all turn up here, and the portal describes the visibility as the best in the Azores.

• Ambrósio is within reach of an Open Water diver who is comfortable in current, and the portal lists it as suitable for snorkelling too.
• The Formigas are for experienced divers. The dive portal recommends Advanced Open Water, because the site is remote and the currents are strong. If you are newly certified, dive Ambrósio first and let the dive centre judge whether a Formigas day makes sense for you.

A Formigas trip is a long day, with more than an hour at sea each way, so it only happens when the sea allows. Build spare days into your stay if it is the main reason you are coming.

The diving season on Santa Maria is summer. Mobula rays gather at the seamounts roughly from June to October, and the most reliable weeks are July to early September. Three species are recorded around the island: the sicklefin devil ray, the spinetail devil ray and the oceanic manta.

Whale sharks are the other summer visitor. A regional study of shark and ray areas found that of 182 whale sharks photo-identified in the Azores, 167 were seen off the western coast of Santa Maria. They were recorded from July to November, most often in August and September, when the sea is warmest at about 22 to 24 °C. Sightings are never guaranteed, but no other Azorean island comes close.

In winter the sea around the islands cools to about 14 to 15 °C, so the months for a dive trip are June to October, with August and September the best bet for both rays and warm water.

The boats leave from the marina in Vila do Porto, the island's main town, so if you stay there you do not need a car to reach them. In 2025 two established centres worked from the island: Haliotis, based at the Hotel Colombo, and Mantamaria, at the marina. Ask each which offshore trips it runs that season and how often.

A few things are worth sorting out before you arrive:

• Book offshore days early for July and August, the busiest weeks of the ray season.
• Bring your certification card and logbook, and ask the centre what it wants to see before it takes you to the Formigas.
• Ask for current prices directly. We could not find a dated 2026 price list to quote.
• Plan your flight home with a day free after your last dive, which is the usual precaution after repetitive diving.

Can I see devil rays on Santa Maria as a beginner? Yes, if you pick the right site. Baixa do Ambrósio is rated as suitable for less experienced divers and snorkellers, and the rays gather there in summer. The currents can be strong, so go with a dive centre and follow its call on the day.

What certification do I need for the Formigas? The official Azores dive portal recommends Advanced Open Water, because the site is remote and the currents are strong.

When is the best month for rays and whale sharks? Rays are around from roughly June to October, most reliably July to early September. Whale sharks are seen most in August and September.

How far is it to the dive sites? About 40 minutes by boat from Vila do Porto marina to Ambrósio, and about 70 minutes to the Formigas (figures from the Azores dive portal, checked in 2026).