Brazil
Atol das Rocas is home to Ilha do Cemitério, which got its name from the bodies of lighthouse keepers, their relatives and, above all, shipwreck victims from vessels that struck the reef.
Between 1999 and 2003, juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) were caught and tagged in Piscina do Cemitério. In the shallowest, most brightly lit parts of the pool, the boring sponge Cliona varians dominates, excavating the limestone substrate. In 1999, 16 sponge species were recorded in the pool, which belongs to the group of typical atoll pools, marked by the sponges Niphates sp., Amphimedon aff. compressa and Amphimedon viridis. Tide pools with zoanthids, algae and small fish are common across the atoll's reef flat, including between Piscina do Cemitério and Barreta Falsa.
In the atoll, green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting usually takes place from December to June, and 500 nesting events have been recorded in a single season.
Information on this page, including technical data such as depth, current, visibility, access, and recommended level, is informational and may vary. Confirm actual conditions with a local operator before the dive.
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