Camogli, Liguria, Italy

Cristo degli Abissi

Cristo degli Abissi is one of the most iconic underwater statues in the world, lying at 17 metres in the small bay of San Fruttuoso between Camogli and Portofino. The 2.5 metre bronze figure, sculpted by Guido Galletti and placed in 1954 in memory of Italian diver Dario Gonzatti and all those lost at sea, has become a pilgrimage site for divers and a cultural symbol of the Portofino Marine Protected Area. The dive is shallow and easy: a sandy and rocky bottom with patches of Posidonia oceanica leads from shore or boat moorings to the statue, set on a small rocky outcrop. Around the figure divers find painted comber, ornate wrasse, damselfish swarms, salema schools, octopus, scorpionfish and the occasional moray eel; sea breams and bream juveniles are common. The site is suitable for beginner divers and freedivers; visibility is generally 8–15 metres. Currents are usually negligible inside the bay. Cristo degli Abissi is the entry-level dive of the Portofino MPA and an obligatory stop for anyone diving Liguria.