La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy

Secca di Washington

Secca di Washington is a granite seamount in the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park, off the northeast coast of Sardinia. The seamount rises from a sandy and rocky base around 40 metres to a top near 12 metres and is one of the most popular dives of the archipelago. The granite walls and boulders 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; barracuda and amberjack schools commonly cruise the open water and dentex hunt over the reef. The La Maddalena archipelago is a strictly regulated marine park and dives are run only with authorised operators. Visibility regularly exceeds 25 metres in summer; currents are moderate.