SAL DIVING HOLIDAYS

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great trip, well organised - many thanks for all of your advice and help

Sal Dive Resort General Overview

Cape Verde is a small group of Islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 1500 km south of the Canary Islands and 450 km off the western coast of Senegal..

Sal is characterized by a desert landscape and everyone who comes here is cast under its’ spell and plans to return. The Cape Verdeans call this phenomenon "Sodade", which means "yearning". The fun loving locals will shape your image of the Cape Verdes and their aim is to make your holidays in Sal an unforgettable experience. "You do not need much to be happy" - This saying could have originated on these islands. Fishing and enjoying music are the main activities of the inhabitants of the island.

Diving in Sal is a diver's paradise with wrecks to explore, rich tropical underwater flora and a massive array of fish including shoals of rockfish and bream, dolphins, turtles and sharks. With few coral reefs, the Cape Verde underwater topography is mostly volcanic lava rocky ridges, pinnacles and boulders, and great arches and caves.

For the more experienced a drive up to the north western coast to visit Buracona coastal area wich is full of unexplored caves and grottoes, is ideal for a half day outing. Adjacent to the Buracona Cave is a natural swimming pool. Perfect for an apres-dive picnic!

The Diving In Sal

To dive in Cape Verde means discovering a uniquely diverse mix of tropical and Mediterranean marine life. You may find shoals of fish in open water or sheltering in coral covered undercuts in volcanic walls alongside rays or lazily hovering in and around local wrecks. Cape Verde is a location designed to bring fascinating experiences and discoveries to all divers.

You can be lucky enough to get a glimpse of nurse and sand sharks throughout the year in Sal. From February to June whales are often seen in the area. Due to the turtle breeding season which takes place in March/April you can often see plenty of turtles from June - September. If you're looking for the bigger stuff your best chance for spotting mantas and whalesharks would fall from July - November.

The island of Sal is the centre of diving on the Cape Verde islands. Dive sites are generally quiet. Dive sites in the north include the caves and caverns of Palmera and Mudeira and grottos. Diving here is generally from shore. In the south diving is from small boats on steep sloping reefs.

This is a fantastic new diving destination which is truly unspoilt and you can still have the luxury of a dive site to yourself. Although the coral life is pretty limited the fantastic visibility, variety of fish life and possibility to dive wrecks, caves etc more than makes up for it.