Kloster-Riff

Kloster-Riff is an advanced dive site in Madeira — a reef whose German name (Kloster means monastery or cloister) suggests the site was named or popularized by the German-speaking diving community that has historically been among the most enthusiastic visitors to Madeiran waters. The name may also evoke the architectural character of the reef's lava formations, whose arches, columns, and enclosed spaces create a cloister-like quality in the underwater landscape. Advanced reef sites in Madeira combine the dramatic volcanic topography of the island's coastline with the productive Atlantic marine community in conditions that require experience to navigate safely — greater depth, more exposed position, and stronger current and surge than the calm southern beginner sites. The lava formations at Kloster-Riff create the dramatic cave and arch features that typify Madeira's finest advanced diving: passages through volcanic rock that admit filtered Atlantic light in dramatic shafts, wide arch formations framing views of blue open water, and the complex three-dimensional structure of ancient lava flows creating the habitat heterogeneity that supports diverse species through the water column. Grouper of impressive size occupy structural features with the confident territorial authority of animals protected from fishing in this section of the Madeiran marine reserve system. Large schools of salema and bream drift through the arch formations. Atlantic moray eels press into crevices throughout the reef. The occasional visit from blue sharks or mako sharks cruising the deeper water adjacent to the reef adds the pelagic excitement that makes advanced Madeiran diving so compelling. Local dive operators with detailed knowledge of Kloster-Riff's optimal dive conditions run guided trips when weather permits.