Cabeço do Borges

The name Risca do Zumbi comes from the long line of reefs and from Praia do Zumbi, the beach facing it. The Risca is a long, narrow plateau, with caves and channels carved by the currents that cross it from one side to the other. This offshore reef surface is possibly an ancient shoreline, and its isolated reef heads are made up of sponges, coralline algae and corals. On the Risca there is plenty of reef life and many tubular sponges in neon shades of green and yellow.

In the past, captains used to sail between the Risca and the mainland to keep the coast in view, while others preferred to pass outside it, because the Risca was poorly charted. Two large cargo ships, the Comandante Pessoa and the São Luiz, sank after striking the Risca do Zumbi while sailing close to the coast. The São Luiz, launched in 1882 under the name S.S. Nubia, sank on 11 January 1911. Between the two wrecks lies the Cabeço Amarelo, a possible cause of the damage to the ships.

In 2012, an expansion of the APA dos Recifes de Corais by 7% was proposed to include the Risca do Zumbi, for its ecological and historical relevance, but at the time the change still depended on discussion and approval by the competent authorities. In the region, the best time to dive usually runs from October to June, peaking in February, March and April.