Animals in Fernando do Noronha
There are lots of animals you can spot on the island and not all of them are in the sea. So be ready to walk around and see them and immerse yourself in the water and put your goggles on to spot them. Because of the abundance of animals I will just list some of the most common ones or special ones.
Trachylepis atlantica or Noronha skink
This reptile is everywhere on the island and only lives here. It loves the sun and can sit still for long periods of time. If you sit still too you can enjoy their company for a while. When they feel that you are coming too close, they move away super quickly. They will be between 7-10 cm or 2.7- 3.9 inches long and although the tail is strong it can break off quite easily. The Noronha skink is very abundant throughout Fernando de Noronha, even coming into houses, and it also lives on the smaller islands around the main island of the archipelago.
Brown gent and red legged gent
The brown gent is a very funny bird, it flies over the sea and all of a sudden it dives into the sea to catch a fish. It’s a very acrobatic bird and I really enjoy watching them while sitting on the beach. The body length is 64- 74 cm or 2.09- 2.42 feet and it has a wingspan of 132-150 cm or 4.33- 4.92 feet wide. Pretty big. The back and head are very dark brown to almost black with a blue patch around the eyes and beak. Only the lower part of the chest and abdomen are white.
The red legged gent is a family member and is also an excellent diver but they are lighter in color and they have red legs.
Many bird species
Besides the brown and red legged gents there are many other birds like; white tailed ring, ibises, different herons, rock walkers, rain wulps, beach runners and the Audubon arrow storm. There are way too many to list here but be in the lookout if you are visiting the island.
Turtles
Of course this is one of the reasons people will come and enjoy the island. There are 2 species that are very common here. These are the Loggerhead turtle or Tartaruga Cabeçuda and Green sea turtle or Tartaruga Verde.
The average loggerhead turtle has a length of about 90 cm or 35 inches when fully grown. Adult loggerhead sea turtles typically weigh around 135 kg or 298 lb, though the largest can exceed 450 kg or 1,000 lb. Their skin varies from yellow to brown, while their shells are generally reddish brown.
Adult green turtles can reach a length of 1.5 meters or 5 feet. Mature individuals typically weigh between 68 and 190 kg or 150– 419 lb and have an average carapace length of 78 to 112 cm or 31– 44 inches. Some exceptional specimens can weigh 315 kg or 694 lb or more.
It was so special to see them in real life. They are flying through the sea and it looks amazing. I have seen some that were grazing the ocean floors but they can also eat small fishes and crabs.
One day when the sea was very rough I went out with a guide. That day a very large green turtle was spotted and because the sea was so rough I wanted to try and find it with the guide. We were trashed by the waves multiple times but we kept searching for it. And then, after about ten minutes we found it. It was so big! It was about 1.25 meters or 4.10 feet. Really crazy. It went to the surface to get some air and I was filming the whole thing but the moment it came down a big wave crashed over us and it bumped against the camera. To be honest it was so funny that me and the guide needed to come to the surface to laugh before we could continue to explore.
The two best areas to see these magnificent animals are: Praia do Leão and Praia do Porto. The water is super clear there. Some beaches will have white sticks coming out of the sand. Around these sticks there are turtle nests, deep down in the sand. If you are lucky you might see baby turtles climbing out of the sand and move towards the sea. If you see that, don’t touch them but keep an eye out for them until they reach the water.
Dolphins
While writing this I am still a bit bummed out that I didn’t see the dolphins but I really hope that if you go you will see them! The best way that you can try and see the dolphins is to take a boat tour. Of course it’s not guaranteed but you will have the best chance to see them. There had been a lot of rainfall before I arrived and during the first two days, which caused fresh water to mix with the seawater. The dolphins didn’t like this, so they stayed further from the shore.
You can also go to the bay of the dolphins (Baía dos Golfinhos) to try and see them when they come to the island in the morning.
The spinner dolphins or in Portuguese; Golfinho rotador lives only in tropical waters and adults are typically 129–235 cm or 50-92 inches long and reach a body mass of 23–79 kg or 50- 174 lb. They are well known for their acrobatics. And they love to jump out of the water close to the boats.
Fishes
There are so many fishes in the water that I will name a few before I continue. You can spot the; French imperial fish, Caribbean doctor fish, Haemulon Parra, Stegastes Rocasensis, Sergeant Major fish, Black Trekker fish, Flying Poon, Mulloidichthys Martinique and lots more. Just swim around and you will meet some of them.
Sharks
Lemon sharks and nurse sharks are very common to see here and I was a bit scared before I went. But they reassured me that if you keep your distance it’s not dangerous. The first time I saw one it was in the natural pool at Atalaia beach. The park ranger said it was the Lemon shark because it is a bit yellow like a lemon.
The shark’s yellow color provides excellent camouflage when swimming over the sandy seafloor. Lemon sharks typically reach a length of 2.4 to 3.1 meters or 7.9 to 10.2 feet and can weigh up to 90 kilograms or 200 pounds by adulthood. After birth the sharks tend to stay in shallower areas, also known as nursery sites. Only after they have grown quite a bit will they swim into the open sea.
The nurse sharks are brown in color and the adults can get up to 3.08 meters or 10 feet long. They tend to prefer coral reefs when they grow up instead of the sandy beach floor the Lemon shark likes. I saw this one when I went on a Hawaiian boat trip but it was a small one.
Giant manta ray
The giant manta ray can grow up to be 9 meters or 30 feet in length and it can weigh about 3000 kg or 6600 lb. But 4 meters or 15 feet is more common. I didn’t see them because they live farther away from the shore. The best way to see them is if you are scuba diving. I have seen some crazy pictures that were taken here where you can see how small the people are in comparison to the Manta ray.
Octopus Insularis
Especially in the natural pools you will have a chance to see an octopus. I was hoping to see one because I saw a documentary about them and was so interested in seeing them in real life. They eat small fishes and crabs. When I was in the natural pool I saw one that was all curled up in a gap in a rock. Pretty cool to see the suction cups on the tentacles.
Crabs
On the island you will see so many crabs between the rocks. I have seen light or sand colored ones, black ones, pink ones and fiery red ones. They all look a bit different and it was very cool to see them walk around while I was observing them from on a rock.
I absolutely loved to see all these animals. It was the first time in my life that I went out to go snorkeling and I thought it was so special. All of a sudden you are inside a world that I have never seen. What a marvelous experience. If you have any questions or suggestions I would love to hear from you. Please send me your comment through the comment section down below.
Is the island of Fernando de Noronha accessible for wheelchair users?
Tours*
The island is not prepared for wheelchair users or people with mobility problems. The pathways are uneven and have uneven stairs. Tours, like going on a big boat, you could do but it’s not very comfortable and with rough seas it is dangerous.
Café’s and restaurants
The cafe’s and restaurant are a lot of the time on a slope which means there are stairs or a steep path. So most places are not accessible for wheelchairs.
Public transport
The bus has some stairs to get into and the bus doesn’t have a ramp. The bus stops are on steep roads so that also makes it hard to climb in sometimes. You could take taxi’s here if you have a collapsible one.
Toilets
Unfortunately there are almost no toilets that are accessible.
*And other attractions
Items I have talked about in this blogpost
Microfiber towels
Even when I go to a hotel I love to bring my microfiber towels. I use them for my hair, for when I go to a beach or swimming pool and I use them to get even more water out of my clothes after laundry.
Collapsible handheld fan
I don’t know about how you deal with heat but I need a bit of cooling down when I’m traveling. This easy (and cute) fan is my go to for when I am too hot. It can be charged with usb which is super practical.
Snorkel inflatable vest
Snorkeling is very tiresome and that’s why I always bring a an inflatable snorkel vest. It allows me to stay in the water for longer. This inflatable one is great because you can fold it into a small package when you’re done.