Princess Alice Bank Pelagic Dives, Azores

Overview

Princess Alice Bank is a seamount fifty nautical miles southwest of Faial, its summit at 35 metres in two kilometres of Atlantic — and in late summer it belongs to the sicklefin devil rays. They arrive in squadrons of a dozen or more, circling divers who hang on the line in open blue with nothing below but violet water. The three-hour crossing from Horta is half the adventure: sperm whales blowing on the horizon, loggerhead turtles, rafts of Cory's shearwaters. This is honest blue-water diving: no reef beneath you for comfort, current across the summit, and the boat only goes when the Atlantic allows. Plan flexible days and treat the bank as a weather lottery, with Faial and Pico's coastal dives — and optional baited blue shark trips — as excellent fallbacks. Fly to Horta via Lisbon. July to September is the window. Six days with two bank runs, harbour accommodation and inshore dives comes in around £1,300; advanced certification and deep-water experience are required. Paint your crew mural on Horta marina's wall before you leave — tradition insists.

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Prefilled for 1 July 2027 — the next best-season window. Search on partner sites — opens in a new tab.