Fernando de Noronha Island Attracts Divers Looking for a Wide Variety of Marine Life

06/05/2018 - 13h01

With a little over 3,000 regular inhabitants, the island of Fernando de Noronha (State of Pernambuco) receives more than 90 thousand tourists annually. These are people who don't mind paying an environmental conservation fee to gain entrance. The minimum cost for five days to properly enjoy the island comes to R$ 347.68 (US$ 92.71).

The archipelago was elected for the second consecutive year as the best diving destination in a Datafolha survey which was published in Folha 's Travel Magazine.

The area's underwater fauna is rich - there are more than 230 species in the clear waters where visibility can reach up to 50 meters.

"It's really amazing. I saw stingrays, turtles, moray eels, rock sharks and lemon sharks" explains São Paulo businesswoman Vivian Siqueira, 36.

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	Fernando de Noronha island

Those who are certified can dive between 15 and 25 meters and stay down for up to 45 minutes.

So-called "tourist divers", who aren't certified, can also get a taste of the experience. In what is referred to as "diving baptism" (R$ 570 [US$ 152] or R$ 620 [US$ 165] with neoprene diving wear included), they can dive for up 30 minutes in depths up to 12 meters, after a class with general orientation and accompanied by an instructor.

In 2017 there were 21 thousand dives inside of the National Marine Park which, together with the environmentally protected area, preserve the nature in the archipelago.

Translated by LLOYD HARDER

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