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, so 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
Blue Shark
Bottlenose Dolphin
Sperm Whale
Loggerhead Turtle
Humpback Whale
"Charted here" species were listed by our editors from the sources on this page. Counts are GBIF occurrence records: observations logged within about 5 km of the charted position since 1990, matched only against the species in our catalogue. They show what has been seen there, not a promise of what you will see.
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★☆☆☆☆ (editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting)