Princess Alice Bank is a remote mid-Atlantic seamount rising from around two thousand five hundred metres of water to a crest that sits roughly thirty to forty metres below the surface. Reaching it requires a boat journey of around three hours from Faial or Pico, and the site is suitable for advanced divers only. Strong, shifting currents are the defining condition here, and visibility ranges widely depending on the day. The seamount is known for large aggregations of spinetail devil rays, and the species list also includes mako sharks, whale sharks, and marbled electric rays. The main season runs from July into October, when water temperatures are at their warmest.
Monthly water temperature across Princess Alice Bank's sites, from satellite sea-surface data corrected for depth. The band shows the site-to-site spread.
Temperatures hold in the high teens through winter and spring, then rise gradually to the low twenties by September and October before dropping back through late autumn. The warmest water coincides with the peak season for devil ray aggregations, though divers should carry adequate exposure protection given the open-ocean environment and potential for thermoclines.
Water temperature around Princess Alice Bank ranges from about 17°C in January to 22°C in September, based on satellite sea-temperature data for its dive sites.
In the warm season (about 22°C) a 3mm full suit is comfortable in Princess Alice Bank; in the coldest months (about 17°C) step up to a 7mm or semi-dry suit.
Fin maps 4 sites in Princess Alice Bank (4 scuba diving sites).
Across Princess Alice Bank's dive sites, July, August, September and October are most often reported as the best months to visit.
3 more sites to explore
