Portugal diving holidays, with the Portugal experts.

For world class diving you have to travel into the Atlantic to a small collection of islands, The Azores. A set of nine Atlantic Ocean islands, located due west of Portugal, about a third of the way to the USA. The nine islands were formed by ancient volcanoes which left their mark upon the stunning landscapes. The hills and mountains are often rich in vegetation and have a surprise around each corner, maybe a deep crater, a sparkling lagoon, a steaming geyser, a sea of flowers or an incredible view over the ocean.

For diving on mainland Portugal the season is the summer months May - September. In the Azores pelagic fishes like tuna, barracudas, jacks, sardines and mackerels are best spotted from July to September, when the warm Gulf Stream raises sea temperature to about 20-23ºC. Manta Rays are spotted every year around seamounts during July, August and September.

Around 25 resident and migratory whale species can be seen in the blue Atlantic waters. These include resident Sperm Whales and migratory species such as the magnificent Blue Whale which passes the island en route north during the summer months. The Azores whaling community sets an example of how to successfully transform to be reliant on whale conservation rather than whaling. In the Azores you also have a rare opportunity to swim alongside wild dolphins in their wild natural habitat. Just jump off the boat and join in. The dolphin will often approach swimmers out of curiosity, making this a truly exhilarating experience. The numerous species include Orcas, Bottlenose, Spotted and Striped Dolphins.