Deserta Grande
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Deserta Grande is the largest of the Desertas Islands, a small uninhabited archipelago southeast of Madeira's main island in the Atlantic Ocean. The islands form a nature reserve, largely closed to casual landing, with steep volcanic cliffs dropping into open water off the Portuguese coast. Diving here is rated a beginner level site. Divers have reported common dolphins passing through the area, along with loggerhead sea turtles and East Atlantic sally lightfoot crabs along the rocky shoreline.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Loggerhead Sea TurtleCaretta carettaReported here · unconfirmed
East Atlantic Sally Lightfoot CrabGrapsus adscensionisReported here · unconfirmed
Common DolphinDelphinus delphisReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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