Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil. Photo courtesy of Beth Castelo via Flickr.
There is a slender and impossibly scenic sliver of perfect white beaches extending out into the calm, crystal blue sea, just three hours south of Rio de Janeiro. It is called Arraial do Cabo. While Brazilians will make a weekend of visiting this still affordable slice of paradise, known for its exquisite vistas and exceptional diving, few foreigners yet make the trip.
Well, if we are speaking of human visitors.
The relatively cool (20°C/68°F) water and astounding underwater topography attract all sorts of wildlife to these shores. Several grottos, steep cliffs, and two shipwrecks—the Teixeirhja which sank in 1932, and the Brazilian warship Dona Paula, lost in 1827—provide the perfect home to anemones, starfish, green sponges, sea horses and pink corals.
These, in turn, attract several types of rays, sea turtles, barracudas, sharks, and many other types of sea life, including whales and dolphins. And these bring in divers from around Brazil and the world, who come for what Jacques Cousteau rated one of the nation’s three great diving regions. A handful of operators based in the village of 25,000 can take you to Ponta da Jararaca, a deep, expert dive; Cordeiros, a shallow swim that can be enjoyed by divers and snorkelers alike; and Camarinha, the toughest option, only open to expert divers when the sea is calm, which takes in the old naval wreck.
Many visitors are happy to stay on the beautiful coast, rather than interacting with the ocean’s residents, as Arraial do Cabo has much to recommend it, including the 23km (14mi) Praia Grande, with all manner of tourist-oriented attractions including bars, umbrella rentals, banana boats, and the like. Less crowded beaches include Praia do Forno, popular with snorkelers, and the island of Praia do Forol, in the process of becoming a nature preserve.
Sometimes, however, the creatures of the sea—tragically—lose their way this close to shore.
That’s what happened last week, when a confused pod of about 30 dolphins found themselves stranded on the beautiful beaches. German visitor Gerd Traue caught the event on video (something of an Internet sensation at this point, clocking in at almost 3 million views at press time), the friendly, intelligent creatures shrieking as they caught themselves up on the sand, unable to return to deeper waters on their own.
First the lifeguards, and later groups of tourists, plunged into the water to pull the dolphins, tail-first, back to safety. This impressively helpful act—not always characteristic of Homo sapiens, unfortunately—returns several favors, as there have been scores of reported incidents, throughout history, of dolphins doing the same for us.
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Brazilian Diving Paradise Brings Species Together from Brazil Things to Do