Parque Estadual Marinho Laje de Santos

The Parque Estadual Marinho da Laje de Santos (PEMLS), created in 1993, is the first and only Marine Park in the state, as well as one of the country's top spots for diving and underwater photography. Its objective is to ensure the full protection of marine ecosystems. Located 22 nautical miles (42 km) off the coast, its area includes the main rock formation, the Laje, and rocky islets also known as Calhaus, as well as shoals (parcéis). Shaped like a whale, the Laje de Santos is 33 m high, 550 m long and up to 185 m wide. With its rich biodiversity, the PEMLS is extremely important as a preservation site for maintaining marine biodiversity. Its environmental quality makes for excellent diving, as the scenic beauty of the underwater landscapes comes from high biomass and visibility, and it is also an area of high scientific value. Practically devoid of vegetation, the Laje is home to a considerable number of seabirds that use the site as a feeding, breeding and resting area. The Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) is a resident species; seasonally, there is the Kelp Gull (Larus dominicanus) and the Royal Tern (Thalasseus maximus maximus) in autumn and winter, as well as the Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross (Thalassarche chlororhynchos), an endangered species. The PEMLS is home to marine invertebrates such as corals, sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and anemones, as well as cetaceans (dolphins and whales) and sea turtles. It has approximately 200 fish species, including the Giant Manta Ray (Mobula birostris) and the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus), both endangered. Public visitation activities in the PEMLS must be carried out with a view to environmental conservation and preservation and the contemplation of nature, with only indirect use of its natural attributes permitted. There is no need to book this ticket, as it is already included in the purchase of the visitation ticket.