Capo Vaticano, Calabria, Italy

Secca di Capo Vaticano

Capo Vaticano, the granite headland between Tropea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, is the most popular diving area of Calabria. The Secca di Capo Vaticano is an offshore granite seamount whose top sits around 14 metres, dropping to about 40 metres on a rocky and sandy base. The site combines large boulders, vertical sections and small swim-throughs, with walls below 25 metres covered in red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) fans. Yellow Eunicella cavolini fans, orange Astroides calycularis on the shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and a varied sponge community decorate the upper terraces. The exposed offshore position attracts barracuda and amberjack schools and dentex; resident species include dusky groupers, brown meagre, conger eels, octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish. Visibility is typically 20–30 metres in summer. Currents around the seamount are moderate and the dive is usually run as a multi-level circuit. Suitable for intermediate divers with experience of moderate currents.