Pedra Vermelha

A stepped boulder reef on the southwestern face of Ilha de Cabo Frio, named for the rust red iron staining on the rock. The structure drops from 2 to 18 meters in broken terraces, with crevices that shelter Brazilian morays, banded butterflyfish, and resident schools of yellow tail snapper. Green sea turtles graze the algae covered ledges in close enough range that wide angle shots work without a strobe. The South Atlantic upwelling pushes cold, plankton rich water onto the cape from late spring through summer, sometimes dropping temperatures into the high teens and visibility into single digits, but feeding dense fish life when conditions clear. Boat access only, 20 minutes from the Praia dos Anjos pier.