the canal, located between săo conradoand barra da tijuca, releases large amounts of water from the mainland that converge in the lagoa da tijuca (tijuca lagoon)and this can cause visibility to diminish - especially after heavy rains.
one thing to keep in mind when planning a diving expedition to the tijucas is that though they are very close to the shore, most tour operators disembark from the marina da glória or from botafogo in the zona sul, which lengthens the journey. a trip from any of these ports to the islands can take anywhere between 60 minutes and 2.5 hours, depending on the type of boat and on the tide.
alternatively, it is possible to make private arrangements with a boat owner to leave from one of the marinas further west, around barra de guaratiba. the voyage from here is only 15-30 minutes - but negotiations of this nature need to be made on an individual basis only.
