ACTIVITIES
SHARK ACTIVITIES
Observer and learn about sharks
Small groups of 8 people maximum (3h to 5h activity)
UNDERWATER OR FROM THE BOAT.
PHOTOGRAPHY SEAFARI
Design your own program at sea for the day and enjoy maximum flexibility on activities and schedules.
Book directly with your guide.
Plan your trip directly with Silvio Solleliet-Ferreira your marine biologist guide and shark specialist with over 10 years of experience on sharks and rays conservation, behavior and ecology. French and Portuguese citizen, Silvio speack’s French Portuguese and English. Resident of the Azores for the last 10 years, Silvio dedicated the last 3 years of is academic carrer free-diving with Blue Sharks, Shortfin mako sharks, whale sharks, smooth hammerhead sharks and sicklefin devil rays (mantas) to study their behavior and ecology.
SHARK ACTIVITIES
Faial is one of the best places in the world to observe blue sharks, we have spots relatively close to our island and amazing visibility under water.
Sharks are very important to maintain balance in the ocean ecosystem. At Goshark we believe that education is one of the keys to protect these animals. In any activity related to sharks we will do an extensive briefing with our shark specialist and marine biologists about their importance,ecology and how to behave in a close encounter with these animals.
We set a day and a meeting time at our base in Horta Marina (Faial Island) or in Madalena harbour (Pico island) if you need a pickup to get to Horta. Then we will brief you about the species behaviour and the rules of the activity. We head out (30min to 1h drive) depending on the spot, to start “chuming” (attract the shark). Depending on the animals, they can take 20min to a few hours to show up, while chuming, we will share with you our knowledge about the Sharks around a local organic and fresh snack with drinks.
In order to have a safer and more comfortable experience we go out on good weather days, for that reason we advise you to come to the islands (Faial/Pico) for a minimum of 3 days to increase your chances to see some sharks.
Duration: 3h-5h
Please select which interaction you would like to experience
I would like to see the sharks but do not feel comfortable swimming with them, is it possible?
Of course! Come on board of Federica our boat to see the sharks swimming around the boat. Blue sharks are very curious, they pass very close to the boat and even check out the shinny propeller. Even if you do not enter the water, you will have very close interaction with the animal and have the possibility to get underwater shots with a simple action camera and a selfy stick.
This activity does not require any previous experience or certification.
PRICE 200€ (Optional dive spot Condor bank 50€ fee)
Included:
- Local fresh snack and drinks.
- Briefing.
*Do not forget your hat, sunblock and sunglasses
I would like to swim with the sharks but do not feel comfortable holding my breath underwater is it possible ?
Of course! Blue sharks spend long periods of time “finning” which means surface swimming, taking advantage of the sun light to warmup their body. Therefore just floating at the surface you will experience very close interactions under the supervision of our freediving guide and shark specialist.
This activity does not require any previous experience or certification. If you are not confident with your snorkeling skills we recommend you to book a coastal snorkel with us first, to refresh your basic snorkeling skills such as cleaning your mask with sea water to remove any fog and train your fin kicks to insure the best experience this the sharks. This check dive will be done in a pristine marine protected area where you will enjoy the wonderful colors of the coastal sea life.
PRICE 200€ (Optional dive spot Condor bank 50€ fee)
Included:
- Snorkeling equipment (wetsuit 3mm, hoodie, gloves, fins, mask and snorkel).
- Snacks + drinks.
*Do not forget your hat, sunblock and sunglasses
I would like to safely freedive in the blue with sharks, is it possible ?
Of course! Free diving allows maximum interaction with the shark while swimming up and down with them. This activity is done in buddy teams to insure safe surface intervals between dives. Our team will set for you a vertical safety line down to 20m maximum for each buddy team to insure maximum safety.
This activity requires at least one freediving certification.
PRICE 200€ (Optional dive spot Condor bank 50€ fee)
Included
- Freediving equipment rental not included (wetsuit 3mm, hoodie, gloves, fins, mask, snorkel and weight belt) 20€.
- Snacks + drinks.
- Briefing + Certified freediving guide.
*Do not forget your hat, sunblock and sunglasses
I would like to safely dive in the blue with sharks, is it possible ?
Of course! Diving gives you the opportunity to take the best pictures underwater.
There will be a chum box,around 5 m deep attached to the boat at a safe distance from the divers. Lines that have a maximum depth of 8/10 m will be connected to the boat, divers will be holding or attached (clip) to those lines at all times.These way as the boat drifts also do the divers and they can more easily control their depth,which can be hard in open ocean (no reference).
This activity requires a dive certification and a check dive (55 €).
PRICE 200€ (Optional dive spot Condor bank 50€ fee)
Full Equipment rental: 25 € /day
Includes:
- Snacks + drinks.
- Briefing + experienced dive guide.
*Do not forget your hat, sunblock and sunglasses
Less people so you can get closer, safer...
We work with small groups of maximum 8 people on board to insure that marine life is confortable and provide close interactions with animals in maximum safety conditions.
Join us in a day trip at Princess Alice Bank, an underwater mountain that comes from very deep waters and peaks at the depth of 32 m.
Located about 45 miles from the marina of Horta, this place gathers the conditions that allow us to observe sickle fin devil rays aggregate in large schools every year. You will also enjoy the presence of huge schools of big amberjacks and other pelagic life (barracudas, tunas etc.).
This is an open ocean experience where it takes us about 2H/2,5H to reach our destination.In order to have a safe and comfortable experience we go out on good weather days, for that reason we advise you to visit the islands (Faial/Pico) for a minimum of 3 days to increase your chances to visit Princess Alice Bank.
This activity is done under the supervision of a manta specialist and marine biologist.
Duration: Full day activity
Please select which interaction you would like to experience
I would like to swim with large schools of mantas with 5 to 60 specimens, is that possible?
Of course! Join us to a day trip at Princess Alice bank!
This activity does not require a certification.
PRICE 300€
Includes:
- Snorkeling equipment rental included (wetsuit 3mm, hoodie, gloves, fins, mask and snorkel) .
- Experienced snorkeling guide+briefing
- Lunch+drinks+snacks
I would like to freedive with large schools of mantas with 5 to 60 specimens, is that possible?
Of course! Join us to a day trip at Princess Alice bank! This activity is done under the supervision of a certified freediver, manta specialist and marine biologist, always in buddy teams to insure safe surface intervals between dives. Our team will set for you horizontal safety line of 25m and a resting buoy.
The day before the activity, we set a meeting time at our base in Horta Marina (Faial Island) or in Madalena harbour (Pico island) if you need a pickup to get to Horta. You choose and try your equipment (suit, mask, fins) if you need some. Then Silvio will take you by boat (3min drive) for a check dive (30min) in a pristine coastal area to refresh/learn basic snorkeling skills to insure the best experience with the sharks.
To freedive and wear a weight belt you need at least one free diving certification and a coastal check dive.
PRICE 300€
Includes:
- Freediving equipment rental included (wetsuit 3mm, hoodie, gloves, fins, mask, snorkel and weight belt).
- Experienced freediving guide+briefing.
- Lunch+drinks+snacks.
I would like to dive with a large schools of mantas with 5 to 60 specimens, is that possible?
Of course! Join us to a day trip at Princess Alice bank!
In our experience the best you can take from a day at Princess Alice is to do 1 dive and spend as much time as you want snorkeling. Diving you will be able to see at a closer range the crown of princess alice, a small platform at 35 m depth where marine life gathers.For safety reasons and so that the animals can approach with more confidence, a large part of the dive will be done holding onto the anchor line (boat will be anchored). Snorkeling you will have the opportunity to move freely and explore the pelagic life surrounding the crown.Princess Alice bank is a very unpredictable spot (current conditions,etc..), for that reason we divide the divers in 2 groups, while one group is snorkeling the other group will be diving, both groups being led by an experienced guide.
PRICE 300€
This activity requires a dive certification and a check dive (55 €).
FULL EQUIPMENT RENTAL:25 €/day
Includes:
- Experienced dive guide+briefing.
- Lunch+drinks+snacks.
- 1 dive + 1 snorkel
RENT A PRIVATE BOAT, FOR A SEAFARI FOR ONLY 1500€ A FULL DAY or 750€ HALF DAY AND INVITE UP TO 6 OF YOUR GUEST.
I would like to enjoy a full day at sea looking for specific marine life and landscapes and/or do my preferred activity, is that possible?
Of course!
Enjoy your best day of your vacations in our SEAfari, where you will be able to see many different resident species of the Ocean of the Azores in a pleasant day only with your family and friends.
This tour is made for Private Small Groups (6 people max) aiming to explore te most of the marine life and the beautiful views from the Ocean to Pico Mountain, Faial and São Jorge, perfect for adventurers photographers and animal lovers.
We include a lunch with freshlocal and organic food and drinks to degustate in a quiet bay our desert beach.
Plan your day with Silvio our marine biologist guide and skipper and and come on board of our boat with your guests to spend half day (4h) or a full day at sea (max 7h).
We can take you around the island to see it from an other perspective and enjoy a few snorkeling destinations.
You would like to plan a private scuba-diving trip it is possible (max 2 tanks of 15L each).
If you are a professional underwater photographer or just want to get a chance to witness special events or special sea life, we offer maximum flexibility regarding schedule and itineraries. You want to leave at 5h30AM to try to witness feeding events and look for bait balls, you would like to focus on finding sea turtles or any other sea life LET´S GO ! You want to see whale sharks (*only from mid August to October) and tunas and swim with them as much as possible, this activity is for you!
WE DO NOT ALLOW FISHING OR SPEAR FISHING DURING THIS ACTIVITY.
PRICES
Half day 4h: 750€ for a maximum of 6 guest (1300€ to head to the Blue sharks)
Full day 7h: 1500€ for a maximum of 6 guest (2000€ to head to the Blue sharks or Princess Alice).
Freediving scubadiving equipment rental included (wetsuit 3mm, hoodie, gloves, fins, mask, snorkel and weight belt, tanks) Scuba diving suit BCD’s and REGULATORS not included.
We include a lunch with freshlocal and organic food and drinks to degustate in a quiet bay our desert beach.
Enjoy a briefing and debriefing about the activity and the animals, their ecology behavior, threats and conservation needs.
Silvio Solleliet Ferreira (Ms), marine biolo+gist and sharks and mantas specialists will answer all your questions !
I am curious and would like to have a short activity to see the coastal see life of the Azores , is it possible ?
Of course! We take you to a pristine marine protected area 2min away from Horta Marina by boat, where you will enjoy the wonderful colors of the coastal sea life during 45min. This activity do not requiere any certification, we will teach you some basic skills such as mask clearing, hears compensation technics and efficient fin kicks.
PRICE 80€
Duration 2h
Included:
Snorkeling equipment included (wetsuit 5mm, hoodie, gloves, fins, mask, snorkel and weight belt).
I would like to have a short boat trip to see some of the pretiest geological formation of Pico and Faial from the coast, and underwater, is it possible ?
Of course! We will take you for a snorkeling boat tour of 2h to see the most beautiful volcanic formations of the south of Faial Island :
*Monte de Guia *Ponta Furada *Porto Pim bay *Morro de Castelo branco
PRICE 100€
Duration 3h30
Included:
Snorkeling equipment included (wetsuit 5mm, hoodie, gloves, fins, mask, snorkel and weight belt).
Jacket and water proof pents included. Do not forget your hat, sunblock and sunglasses!
I would like to see capelinhos vulcano from the sea and bellow the surface, is it possible ?
Of course! During this activity, we will take you to capelinhos where you will be able to see from very close the youngest piece of land of Europe. Indeed Capelinhos volcano errupted in 1957 in the Ocean and connected to land but the prettiest part of the crater is only visible from the sea. We plan this activity at sunset to enjoy on one side of the boat the red volcanic rocks and the red sunset in the Ocean on the other side.
On the way, enjoy the submerged volcanos from the sea:
*Monte de Guia *Ponta Furada *Morro de Castelo branco
PRICE 150€
Duration: 3h30, meeting 18h00
Included:
Snorkeling equipment included(wetsuit 5mm, hoodie, gloves, fins, mask and snorkel).
Jacket and water proof pents included. Do not forget your hat, sunblock and sunglasses!