Sao Vicente and Santo Antao Dive Coast

Confirm certification suitability, maximum dive plan, buddy qualifications, cylinder gas analysis, oxygen availability, communications, surface marker and vessel crew before leaving Mindelo or Porto Novo. A boat listing is not proof of audited maintenance or emergency capability. Account for changing winds, waves, visibility and current at Ponta Tubarao or other exposed points; request a sheltered alternative or cancel. Never enter a cavern, overhead wreck or a deeper wall without training, equipment and explicit permission, and avoid unapproved harbor operations. Freedivers need competent, actively watching in-water buddies and rescue practice, especially where a seller offers boat-only support. Snorkelers need a controlled entry, boat lookout and reliable flotation if required. For flights, DAN gives minimum post-no-decompression-dive surface intervals of 12 hours after one dive and 18 hours after multiple dives/days; longer may be prudent, and higher-elevation post-dive excursions also need care. DAN flight intervals; Site variety.

If an emergency occurs, activate local ambulance/emergency response immediately, provide oxygen if trained and available, and seek the nearest appropriate hospital; do not attempt to self-treat decompression illness or travel directly to a presumed hyperbaric chamber. The US State Department states Cabo Verde has no hyperbaric facility and medical evacuation may require international transport. Santo Antao has no functioning commercial airport, so the medical transport plan is especially important on Porto Novo and remote coasts. Mindelo has Hospital Dr. Baptista de Sousa; government consular material lists hospital and health delegation contacts on Santo Antao. DAN maintains a 24-hour diver emergency consultation service at +1 919 684 9111. Verify every listed phone number before travel and ensure medical coverage includes scuba-related illness, offshore pickup and international repatriation. Emergency limitations; DAN chamber guidance; Mindelo hospital.

National decree 50/2024 governs observation of sea turtles, and protected inland landscapes such as the Cova/Paul/Ribeira da Torre natural park have management rules. Choose no-feeding, no-touching and no-flash wildlife guides; keep a clear escape and breathing route for swimming turtles. Never chase animals with a boat or approach nesting females and hatchlings without legally authorized conservation supervision. Report suspicious feeding, turtle handling or destructive anchoring to the responsible operator or authority. Avoid standing on corals or fragile reef growth, collecting wildlife, disturbing fishing gear or penetrating closed wreck and port spaces. The ecological significance of Raso and Santa Luzia does not bring them inside the permitted editorial region. Turtle legislation; Park information; Conservation practices.