Condor Bank
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Condor is where the Azores' blue-shark diving happens. The seamount itself, long closed to fishing and studied by marine scientists, tops out well beyond recreational depth, so the dive is a drifting hang at 5–15 m beside a scent line. Blue sharks arrive slowly and stay long, circling divers with the unhurried confidence of an open-ocean predator; shortfin makos make faster, rarer passes. With 30 m of blue in every direction, the experience is closer to skydiving than reef diving.
The moment you come for: Close, calm blue-shark encounters; occasional mako fly-bys; true oceanic setting
Topography: None within recreational range — the bank's summit lies far below the divers, who hang in open water
Entry: An offshore bank southwest of Faial reached by fast boat from Horta; dives are drifting mid-water hangs, not bottom dives.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Blue-water hang with no visual bottom reference; monitor depth constantly. Sharks are wild animals — maintain position and follow the guide.
Conservation: Blue sharks are heavily fished worldwide; Azorean encounter tourism is often cited as a live-shark economy argument. Follow operator protocols and keep hands in.
Who you'll meet
For photographers
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