Photo Essay: Scuba Diving Fernando de Noronha

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Fernando de Noronha is Brazil's best kept secret. Still pure and simple, with little touristic influence, this archipelago has been declared UNESCO World Heritage Center back in 2001 and it's described as the most beautiful marine park in the World. 

I visited the island over Easter Holidays about 3 years ago with my mom for 5 days, and we had a great time. The highlight of the the trip - besides for the breathtaking beaches, which certainly deserve a separate post - was the Underwater World. A couple of years ago, we obtained our Scuba Diving license and, since then, attempt to dive in each of our travel destinations. And believe me, you will want to have one if you're thinking about visiting Fernando de Noronha. 

... Dive with Sea Turtles in a strong sea current

... Dive so close to them you can almost reach out your hand and touch them 

... See colorful fish and exotic rock formations ...

... which were probably hiding away from us in between these rocks

... And come across a peaceful shark! (with so many little colorful fish swimming around, no wonder he had not even a slight interest on us)

Besides for turtles, sharks and thousands of colorful fish, I also saw rays, dolphins and barracudas. Actually, I was the one that found the group of barracudas while everyone else was amazed following the shark. I dove closer and saw all 4 suddenly turning towards me, which felt a bit scary. Still, besides big barracudas staring at me, this has been so far the best diving experience I've had. 

Holding on to the facts tradition, here you go with 5 interesting facts on Fernando de Noronha you shouldn't miss:

1. The island had been occupied by the dutch, the french and the portuguese
2. The Government limits the number of visitors to 460 at one time, which, together with the 3.500 locals living there permanently, makes it really cozy
3. Visitors pay an Environmental Preservation Tax that increases progressively with the length of the visit
4. Its water is so clear and transparent, that you still have very good visibility at 50 meters depth 
5.  All of the water and 70% of the land on and around Fernando de Noronha is national park

To see more pictures of Fernando de Noronha, head over to my Flickr album!