Fotografia subaquàtica

The underwater photography specialty is listed in both the SSI and PADI curricula at Mantamaria. Santa Maria's combination of large pelagics, manta rays, whale sharks, and clear water with 20–40 metre visibility makes it a genuinely productive location for this course.

The manta aggregation at Ambrósio in summer, the schooling fish at Banco João Lopes and Baixa da Maia, and the cave systems at Pedrinha each present different photographic challenges — wide-angle pelagic shooting, macro work in the caves, natural light at depth. The course covers composition, exposure, and equipment handling in water.

Candidates typically complete the theory and confined-water practice quickly, with the open-water sessions on whichever site conditions favour that day.