Princess Alice Bank
Dive site
The flagship seamount of the São Miguel pelagic circuit, Princess Alice Bank rises from 2000 m to within 35 m of the surface roughly 90 km south of Ponta Delgada. The summit acts as a congregation point for migrating pelagics following the mid-Atlantic ridge: mobula rays gather in spinning aggregations of several hundred individuals from April through September, shortfin mako and blue sharks patrol the mid-water column in summer, and scalloped hammerheads appear in loosely structured schools along the eastern flank at depth. There is no reef — only open blue water and the animals that the upwelling current draws to the pinnacle.
Conditions
Depth
20 to 60 m
Advanced depths
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
25 to 40 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
15 to 24°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 16 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 17 |
| Vis (m) | 20 | 18 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 |
| Current | Strong | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong |
Field journal
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