Scuba diving in Giannutri - Punta Secca shoal

Type of scuba diving: shoal, wall
Minimum licence required: base
Depth: min 2 m, max 50 m

Punta Secca shoal is reckoned to be one of the most interesting scuba diving routes as well as one of the richest in life on the island of Giannutri, and is perfect for all levels of licence.

The "hat" of the shoal starts at a depth of only 2 metres and is constantly surrounded by groups of damselfish and saddled bream. Here you can easily spy both large and small groupers and John Dory swimming around the chain of the mooring buoy.

Keep the shoal at your back and swim north westwards, and this will get you to a sandy plateau at a depth of approximately - 15 metres that is rich in both sea weed and oceanic Posidonia.

The plateau goes slowly downwards until you see the first gorgonias (at a depth of approximately -30 metres) which means that this is the start of the vertical wall that symbolizes the island.

The coralline consists of russet colour sea weed that is underneath the bryozoans, sponges and very colourful gorgonias all over the wall. Amidst the ravines you will see lobsters, , moray eels and conger eels, and you may also see melon sea urchins as well as basket stars.

Once you have swum along part of the rocky wally your upwards swim to the top of the shoal will prove fascinating. You will probably see Redsnapper fish and amberjacks at any depth.

The passage of the scuba diving route is taken from the leaflet "The hidden Archipelago. Scuba diving routes in the National Tuscan Archipelago"