Procida, Campania, Italy

Secca di Vivara

Secca di Vivara is a volcanic seamount in the channel between Procida and Ischia, within the Regno di Nettuno Marine Protected Area. The seamount rises from a sandy and rocky base around 35 metres to a top near 14 metres and is one of the most representative dives of the Bay of Naples. The walls and terraces below 22 metres support yellow Eunicella cavolini fans, encrusting orange Astroides calycularis on shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and a varied sponge community, with patches of red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) in the deeper sections. Resident species include dusky groupers, brown meagre, conger eels, octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish; salema and damselfish schools, sea breams and ornate wrasses are common, and barracuda and amberjack often cross the open water. Visibility is typically 12–22 metres; currents around the seamount can be moderate. The Regno di Nettuno MPA also includes the islands of Capri and Ischia.