Dori
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.
The Dori was a US-built Liberty ship, one of the mass-produced World War II freighters, which ended her career in Azorean waters and sank off Sao Miguel's south coast in 1964. She now lies broken across the seabed at around 20 m: plates, ribs, boilers and a recognizable bow section opened up like a diagram of a ship. Schools of bream and salema wash over the wreckage, moray eels hole up in the machinery, and the modest depth makes her a relaxed second dive with real history in her steel.
The moment you come for: Liberty-ship history, easy depth, fish-covered debris field
Topography: Sand and volcanic stone around a broken steel hull
Entry: A short boat ride from Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel; sheltered enough to dive on many days the offshore banks are not.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Some sharp, collapsing plating: keep off the metal and watch surge in shallow sections.
Nitrox: Worth it here: profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).
Who you'll meet
Bottlenose Dolphin
Loggerhead Turtle
Sperm Whale
Humpback Whale
Orca (Killer Whale)
Nudibranchs
Seahorses
Leatherback Turtle
Also recorded nearby
"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)