Ilha do Arvoredo - Engenho

About this dive site

This dive site, known as Engenho, is a versatile location within the island’s underwater environment. The seabed features a dynamic transition between rocky outcrops and sandy areas, creating a diverse interface that serves as a natural reference point for divers. Exploration towards the northwest leads to a submerged cave entrance at approximately 6 meters of depth; this passage narrows in sections, culminating in a domed ceiling within the cave. Within this area, consistent sightings include schools of salema fish, frade fish, and robalos. With careful observation, opportunities exist for encounters with sea horses, nudibranchs, and cachimbo eels. Divers can also explore the transition zone between the rocky interface and the sandy bottom, where they may observe prego and borboleta rays, though these sightings are less frequent, and occasionally chita turtles. Further down, larger groupers and badejos become more prevalent.