The Islet of Vila Franca resulted from an ancient sub-marine volcano. The volcano is now extinct and what is left is a perfectly round crater emerging from the Atlantic Ocean. At times, you can swim in the still waters of the crater. Currently, it is off limits to protect the nesting birds including Azores' Cory's Shearwater. We had to be ready to snorkel the choppy waters on the outside rim. The water temperature is seventeen degrees Celsius so we suited up in 7 mm wetsuits. This was my first time wearing both booties and a hood. Because of the waves, we had to make sure we didn’t get too close to the edge—you don’t want to get thrown into the rocks. The area was abundant with fish. We saw schools of sardines that are probably destined for someone's table. My favourite was the red, yellow and blue (grey) Mediterranean parrotfish. A great morning. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom.
16 Comments
NPW7
5/23/2023 07:05:46 am
Was the islet occupied by people like was anyone living on it?
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Diane
5/23/2023 05:40:29 pm
Right now with the birds nesting no one is there. There are times of the year when you can go inside, but no one lives there except the birds.
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Hailey Alexis
5/23/2023 07:06:52 am
What type of fish is that?
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Diane
5/23/2023 05:41:17 pm
Mediterranean parrotfish
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NPWS7JM
5/23/2023 07:07:52 am
The water is so clear and blue did you get any pics of the fish yourself?
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Diane
5/23/2023 05:42:10 pm
If you watch Ray’s video there is a parrotfish in it….see if you can find it.
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Cp.w 7
5/23/2023 07:08:57 am
Was the water cold
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Diane
5/23/2023 05:43:01 pm
Very cold and we were in way more than an hour…that is why we had 7mm wetsuits.
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Alexis Hailey
5/23/2023 07:16:26 am
(new comment) did you see any other fishes apart from the parrotfish?
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Diane
5/23/2023 05:43:46 pm
Yes, you should see quite a few in the video
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NPW teacher
5/23/2023 07:16:42 am
How challenging is it to swim in that thick of wetsuit?
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Diane
5/23/2023 05:44:45 pm
I felt clumsy on land in the 7mm, but once the water softened it up I was fine.
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Molly, Kelsey
5/23/2023 07:16:51 am
Is the water usually that cold?
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Diane
5/23/2023 05:45:22 pm
Overall the Atlantic is pretty cold.
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ACAW7Schaefer
5/23/2023 07:26:08 am
Was is hard to swim with the scuba gear on?
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Diane
5/23/2023 05:46:32 pm
Ray is used to the scuba gear, but we saw some beginner divers and it looked like they were finding it a lot
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