Explore Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro is a captivating gateway to some of Brazil's most mesmerizing dive sites, offering a unique blend of marine adventures just beyond its vibrant city life. While the city itself may not host abundant dive spots, a short journey east or west reveals a trove of underwater experiences. Armação dos Búzios, located 130 kilometers east, is a favorite among both beginners and seasoned divers, thanks to its crystal-clear, nutrient-rich waters teeming with diverse marine life. Here, divers can explore colorful reefs and encounter a vibrant array of fish species, adding a splash of color and excitement to every dive.
Further east, Arraial do Cabo beckons with the allure of its historic shipwrecks. Known as the shipwreck mecca of the region, it boasts 47 wrecks lying just offshore, promising an intriguing exploration for both novice and experienced divers. Heading west from Rio, Angra dos Reis and Paraty offer a striking contrast with their mix of caves, reefs, and islands, including the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ilha Grande. The waters here are a playground for macro and megafauna, where curious dolphins and vibrant seahorses make frequent appearances. These destinations provide a perfect escape, combining exceptional diving with the enchanting landscapes surrounding Rio de Janeiro.
Dive Activity
Diving in Rio de Janeiro
The dive destinations nearby Rio de Janeiro offer reef-diving, cave-diving, wreck-diving, and deep-diving. Some sites consist mostly of coral reef ecosystems, while others have rocky landscapes boasting tunnels, caves, and swim-throughs, and still others have wrecks of old wartime ships that met their demise by colliding with a reef.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Rio de Janeiro
The waters to the east of Rio de Janeiro surrounding Arraial do Cabo and Armação dos Búzios contain marine fauna such as stingrays, octopus, sea turtles, moray eels, queen angelfish, sea horses, and many species of colorful corals and sponges. Divers will come across tropical fish, sharks, manta rays, groupers, parrotfish, lobsters, crabs, and sea turtles, and in some cases dolphins, humpback whales, and penguins in the waters west of Rio de Janeiro, near Ilha Grande, Paraty, and Angra dos Reis.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
367 Sightings
J
12
F
27
M
29
A
49
M
24
J
39
J
25
A
39
S
32
O
26
N
39
D
26
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 300
Alamy/Reinhard Dirscherl
Octopus
100 Sightings
J
3
F
4
M
15
A
29
M
19
J
15
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
13
N
1
D
1
Shutterstock-Andrey Armyagov
Hawksbill Turtle
47 Sightings
J
0
F
1
M
0
A
22
M
0
J
0
J
5
A
19
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
43 Sightings
J
8
F
5
M
0
A
4
M
2
J
9
J
6
A
0
S
4
O
1
N
0
D
4
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 130
AdobeStock-JirinaVFR
Pufferfish
379 Sightings
J
21
F
44
M
36
A
43
M
12
J
24
J
36
A
42
S
27
O
40
N
39
D
15
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 120
AdobeStock-Composer.
Flounder
213 Sightings
J
3
F
15
M
13
A
36
M
12
J
27
J
27
A
30
S
10
O
11
N
29
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 20
iStock-stephankerkhofs
Porcupinefish
212 Sightings
J
15
F
25
M
25
A
18
M
16
J
18
J
13
A
0
S
27
O
31
N
12
D
12
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 40
iStock-wrangel
Triggerfish
98 Sightings
J
0
F
15
M
2
A
2
M
10
J
11
J
2
A
20
S
0
O
16
N
20
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 125
SSI-Peter-Schinck
Gurnards
95 Sightings
J
1
F
11
M
17
A
13
M
7
J
5
J
21
A
9
S
0
O
0
N
11
D
0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 7000
iStock-Michael Zeigler
Crab
86 Sightings
J
1
F
4
M
0
A
25
M
16
J
2
J
0
A
17
S
9
O
2
N
10
D
0
The best Months to Dive in Rio de Janeiro
While these dive destinations near Rio de Janeiro can be enjoyed year-round, the summer months (December through February) are the most popular time to dive, since the ocean conditions are calmest. Temperatures are warm year-round as well, with an average of 27°C/81°F.
