Massa Lubrense, Campania, Italy

Vervece

The Vervece is a rocky pinnacle just off Marina della Lobra at Massa Lubrense on the Sorrento Peninsula and the most-dived site of the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area. The pinnacle rises to within a couple of metres of the surface and drops on its outer side to about 40 metres on a sandy and rocky base. A bronze statue of the Madonna del Vervece, placed in 1974 by the local diving community, sits on a ledge at around 18 metres and is the focus of the annual underwater pilgrimage. The walls feature yellow Eunicella cavolini fans, red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) below 25 metres, orange Astroides calycularis on shaded sections, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and red and yellow encrusting sponges. Resident species include dusky groupers, brown meagre, conger eels, octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish; barracuda and amberjack schools occasionally pass. Visibility ranges from 12 to 22 metres; currents are moderate around the pinnacle and can be stronger on the outer face.