Saco da Coruja

At Saco da Coruja, the rocky shore is made up of large boulders that drop abruptly to the sandy bottom, with many holes, swim-throughs and grottoes. The main formation is a giant slab of about 600 m² resting on smaller rocks, forming a horizontal crevice just over 1 m high that can hold up to four divers. The passage slopes downward for about 100 m until it reaches a reef, and along the way beams of light come in through the cracks. The swim-throughs hold many fish and other animals, such as large rays, turtles, porgies, angelfish and grunts.

Ilha dos Búzios is home to a traditional caiçara community that lives from small-scale fishing and from growing cassava and bananas. On the boat ride to the archipelago it is common to see bottlenose dolphins, Bryde's whales and even humpback whales. In the region, the water averages around 22 °C through the year and can reach 27 °C from mid-January until the arrival of autumn, and cold thermoclines may occur in early summer.