Ustica, Sicily, Italy

Scoglio del Medico

Scoglio del Medico is a volcanic stack rising vertically off the western coast of Ustica, inside Italy's first marine reserve. The stack drops underwater on all sides to about 45 metres on a rocky and sandy base, with vertical walls, overhangs and small caves cut into the dark volcanic rock. The walls below 22 metres support yellow Eunicella cavolini fans, encrusting orange Astroides calycularis on shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and red and yellow sponges, with patches of red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) in the deeper sections. The exposed offshore position attracts pelagic species: barracuda and amberjack schools, dentex and the occasional tuna or sunfish in summer. Resident species include large dusky groupers, brown meagre, conger eels, octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish. The Ustica reserve has been protected since 1986 and the resulting fish biomass is exceptional. Visibility regularly exceeds 30 metres in summer; currents around the stack can be moderate to strong.