generally, in the south-west zone of rio waves are strong and great for surfing all year long, with the best period being the autumn and the winter - with east to south-west winds, waves are typically tubular, ranging in size between 1 to 2 meters.

oceanic beaches in rio de janeiro are populated by a wealth of marine life - mostly invisible to people staying on the shore, much of it can be seen by scuba divers.     

occasionally, dolphins can be spotted, or even whales, as they migrate in the region around the cagarras islands, straight across from ipanema.