Calheta Torpedo Ray Flats

The sandy and volcanic-rubble seabed off Calheta on Madeira's southwest coast is the most reliable site in the archipelago for Atlantic torpedo rays. These large electric rays — reaching 1.8 metres and capable of delivering a significant discharge — rest partially buried on the flat at 12 to 22 metres and are active at night. The site also attracts angel sharks during winter months (December through March), stingrays, and large cuttlefish. Loggerhead turtles feed on the sponge-patched reef fringe. The dive is unhurried and genuinely unusual: most visitors come for Madeira's walls and pinnacles and miss these benthic specialities entirely.