Portoferraio, Tuscany, Italy

Scoglietto di Portoferraio

Lo Scoglietto is a small islet just outside Portoferraio harbour on Elba's northern coast, considered the island's most popular training and check-out dive site. The reef descends gently around the islet, with rocky terraces and Posidonia oceanica meadows reaching about 25 metres at the base. The site's relatively shallow, sheltered profile makes it suitable for beginners, and a marine zone protection regime keeps fish biomass high enough to draw experienced divers as well, especially for night diving. Common sightings include moray eels (with multiple individuals on most dives), octopus, large scorpionfish, painted comber, salema and damselfish schools, ornate wrasses, sea breams, conger eels and the occasional dusky grouper. Yellow Eunicella cavolini fans and small encrusting sponges decorate the deeper rocky terraces. Visibility is typically 10–18 metres and currents are usually weak. Within the Tuscan Archipelago National Park, Scoglietto is one of Italy's most-frequented introductory dive sites.