Grosseto, Tuscany, Italy

Formiche di Grosseto

Formiche di Grosseto is a small offshore archipelago of three rocky pinnacles roughly 10 nautical miles north of Monte Argentario and southeast of Elba, within the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. The pinnacles rise from a deep base to within a few metres of the surface and offer some of the wildest diving in Tuscany, with vertical walls plunging well past 50 metres. Below 25 metres the walls support dense red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) forests, with yellow Eunicella cavolini fans on the upper sections, encrusting orange Astroides calycularis on shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and a rich community of sponges. Pelagic encounters are common: barracuda and amberjack schools, dentex, bonito and the occasional tuna or sunfish in summer. Resident species include large dusky groupers, brown meagre, conger eels, big octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish. Currents can be moderate to strong and the open-sea position demands respect; reserved for advanced divers.