Qualla: Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park

Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park: Introduction

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Marcusdab, CC BY-SA 3.0. The rock ridges run in parallel lines along the seabed, and the fishermen of Mucuripe named them riscas - stripes. Eighteen and a half kilometers northeast of the port, they drop into 16 meters of warm water that rarely falls below 27°C. Somewhere on the sand among them lies the broken fuselage of a Bandeirante twin-turboprop, now counted as an artificial reef and an item of underwater archaeological heritage. It is the only marine conservation unit in the state of Ceará.

Image: Marcusdab | CC BY-SA 3.0

Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park: Why the Park Exists

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Brazil_location_map.svg: NordNordWest derivative work: Виктор В (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0. Before 1997, the reef had a different reputation: it was fished hard, and the numbers showed it. Fish populations declined. Lobster catches thinned. The decline sat uncomfortably alongside Ceará's tourism brand of pristine beaches and vibrant reefs. Government agencies and NGOs t...

Image: Brazil_location_map.svg: NordNordWest derivative work: Виктор В (talk) | CC BY-SA 3.0

Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park: The Stripes Below

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Marcusdab, CC BY-SA 3.0. The riscas themselves are linear calcareous and rocky outcrops, typical of Ceará's near-shore geology, rising a meter or so above the sand. Diving the park means following these ridges and the gravel channels between them. Visibility runs from 15 meters on a good day to considera...

Image: Marcusdab | CC BY-SA 3.0

Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park: Life at 16 Meters

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Marcusdab, CC BY-SA 3.0. Researchers have identified 116 species of fish in the park, including six elasmobranchs - rays and small sharks. Common bottlenose dolphins pass through regularly. Three species of sea turtles have been recorded. A 2006 survey of sponges turned up something unexpected: Sigmaxine...

Image: Marcusdab | CC BY-SA 3.0

Pedra da Risca do Meio Marine State Park: Artisan Rules

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Marcusdab, CC BY-SA 3.0. The park permits line-and-hook fishing by artisan fishers and sport anglers. It also allows scientific collection and diving with prior authorization. What it bans matters more: trawl nets, spearguns, the capture of ornamental fish for the aquarium trade, and the dumping of any w...

Image: Marcusdab | CC BY-SA 3.0