Filicudi, Sicily, Italy

Scoglio della Canna

Scoglio della Canna is a tall, slender basalt pinnacle rising vertically from the sea off the western coast of Filicudi in the Aeolian archipelago. The pinnacle continues underwater as a vertical wall on all sides, dropping to about 50 metres on a rocky and sandy base. The dramatic geology and clear Aeolian water make Scoglio della Canna one of Italy's most acclaimed wall dives. The walls below 25 metres support dense red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) forests, with yellow Eunicella cavolini fans on shallower sections, encrusting orange Astroides calycularis on shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and a rich sponge community. Pelagic encounters are common: 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. Visibility regularly exceeds 30 metres in summer; currents around the pinnacle can be moderate to strong. Reserved for advanced divers.