Abrolhos Marine National Park Brazil

Key safety realities for Abrolhos diving:

• Offshore boat operations: plan for longer transits, ladder entries, and surface current.
• Carry an SMB on every dive and practice controlled ascents and safety stops.
• Dive conservatively. Remote logistics make emergency response slower than in urban dive hubs.
• Conditions can change quickly with wind. If crossings are rough, do not push for extra sites.
• Wildlife: whales are observation-only. Do not attempt in-water interactions.

Medical support is limited offshore.

• Before travel, confirm your operator has emergency oxygen, first aid, and a clear evacuation plan to the mainland.
• Consider dive accident insurance (for example, DAN) that covers evacuation and hyperbaric treatment.
• In a suspected decompression illness event, treat it as an emergency: administer oxygen, stop diving, hydrate if conscious, and coordinate evacuation through the operator and emergency services.
• Save the Brazilian maritime emergency number (185) and standard emergency numbers (192, 193, 190) offline before departure.

Abrolhos reefs are fragile and globally important.

• Follow ICMBio rules: diving only with authorized operators and guides, no gloves or knives for recreational divers, and no touching or collecting.
• Keep buoyancy tight over shallow coral and avoid fin kicks that stir sand onto reefs.
• Use reef-safe sunscreen and reduce plastics on boats (bring a refillable bottle).
• Whale watching must follow minimum approach distances, and you should not enter the water with whales.
• Support local conservation groups such as Projeto Baleia Jubarte and sea turtle protection initiatives.