Ustica, Sicily, Italy

Secca della Colombara

Secca della Colombara is the signature dive of Ustica, a volcanic island north of Palermo and home to the first marine reserve established in Italy (1986). The pinnacle rises from a sandy plateau around 42 metres to a top at roughly 18 metres and is one of the most representative sites of central Mediterranean reef biology. Its walls are densely carpeted with red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) below 25 metres, with large yellow Eunicella cavolini fans higher up, orange Astroides calycularis on shaded faces and yellow Parazoanthus axinellae studding the rock. Schools of barracuda and amberjack circle the summit; large dusky groupers, brown meagre, dentex and forkbeard are commonly resident, and octopus and moray eels populate the crevices. Visibility frequently exceeds 30 metres in summer. Currents can be moderate at the top of the pinnacle. Reserved for advanced divers with good buoyancy, the site is a benchmark for Mediterranean dive tourism and a clear example of what protection delivers when properly enforced.