Vulcano, Sicily, Italy

Secca del Bagno

Secca del Bagno is one of Vulcano's most distinctive dives, in the southern Aeolian Islands. The site sits on the volcanic plateau just off the island and combines a classic Mediterranean reef structure with active fumarole vents that release columns of sulphurous gas bubbles into the water column, especially near the shallower portion. The reef descends from around 8 metres at the top of the seamount to roughly 35 metres at the base on a black volcanic sand bottom. The walls are decorated with yellow Eunicella cavolini fans, encrusting orange Astroides calycularis on the shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and red and orange sponges. Resident wildlife includes dusky groupers, scorpionfish, octopus, moray eels, salema and damselfish schools, and amberjack and barracuda passing offshore. The hydrothermal activity is a UNESCO-listed feature of the Aeolian volcanic complex. Visibility is regularly 20–30 metres in summer and currents are typically moderate. Recommended for intermediate divers comfortable around volcanic vents.