Condor Bank (blue shark dive)
Condor Bank is a seamount about 17 km west-southwest of Faial (other sources say 35 km), roughly an hour by boat from Pico, and the site of the open-ocean 'blue shark dive'. Divers drift near the surface (5–15 m) while sharks are attracted to the boat with chum; blue sharks are most common, mako sharks occasionally and oceanic hammerhead rarely. There is no seabed or wall for reference, so buoyancy control matters. Demersal fishing on the bank has been banned since 2010 (Wikipedia, uncited) — the exact protection rules could not be verified from an official source.
depth: 0–18 m