Agenor Gordilho

The Agenor Gordilho is a 69 m steel ferry, ordered in 1970 from the EBIN Só shipyard in Porto Alegre by the Companhia Bahiana de Navegação. From 1972 until the end of 2017, it made the crossing between Salvador and Itaparica. On 21 November 2020, it was deliberately sunk, together with the tugboat Vega, to form an artificial reef and attract dive tourism. Beforehand, oils, fuels and hazardous parts were removed, and openings were cut to let in light and allow access. Once the valves were opened, the ferry sank in less than half an hour and settled on the bottom in its sailing position.

Shortly after the sinking, there were already shoals of sardines and other fish, as well as juvenile fish. In less than a year, the ferry already hosted a great variety of life and many resident schools of fish.

In Salvador diving usually goes on throughout the year, and in winter the options tend to decrease because of bad weather. In the region, dives are scheduled by the tide table, because of the large volume of water flowing in and out of the Baía de Todos os Santos, and departure times vary from day to day.