Scuba diving along the sandbed in Capo Poro

This area is for expert scuba divers because you will be swimming very deep down: the tip of the ridge is at a depth of 30 metres but the bottom is at a depth of more than 50 metres.

The walls are very steep and covered in beautiful sea whips and very often there are beautiful sea lilies stuck on to them. In the cracks on the wall you will see some wonderful branches of red coral and if you point your torch at them their beauty is enhanced even more.

Just off the main sandbed there is a rock that is full of life, and in order to get there you need to keep to the left of the tip of the ridge that is facing the open sea.

If you want to make the most of the depth while you are this far down, you can spend the time you have left admiring the coral, crayfish, gurnards, large conger and moray eels and the melon sea urchins and echinus, as well as sponges and hundreds of blunt-headed holy-risk that swim blissfully amongst the red sea fans,

Photographs kindly lent by Riccardo Burelli - Diving in Elba