Ustica, Sicily, Italy

Secca della Spalmatore

Secca della Spalmatore is a volcanic seamount on the southwestern coast of Ustica, inside Italy's first marine reserve. The seamount rises from a rocky and sandy base around 40 metres to a top near 14 metres, with stepped walls, ridges and small caves typical of Ustica's volcanic underwater landscape. The walls below 22 metres support yellow Eunicella cavolini fans, encrusting orange Astroides calycularis on shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and red and yellow sponges, with patches of red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) in the deeper sections. Resident species include several large dusky groupers (Epinephelus marginatus), brown meagre, conger eels, octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish; barracuda and amberjack schools cruise the open water and dentex hunt over the reef. The Ustica reserve's strict protection has restored fish biomass to exceptional levels. Visibility regularly exceeds 25 metres in summer; currents are moderate.