Punta dell'Arpa

The dive site of the red gorgonians perfectly framed by the intense blue of the sea and the bright green of the Posidonia meadows.

 

On the southwest coast of the island of Ustica lies the Punta dell'Arpa‚ or harp point‚ a name that refers to the shape of the rocky ridge.

The dive begins with a descent on a seabed of mixed posidonia seagrass and rocks. We follow the profile of the coast and head towards the open sea. The shapes of large boulders and pinnacles appear in front of us‚ emerging from a sandy bottom at a depth of 40 meters. As we get closer to these rock formations‚ our eyes are immediately captured by the huge fans‚ that‚ when illuminated by our diving lights‚ turn into an intensely red colour: the Paramuricea clavata‚ or better known as the red gorgonians. These are the most beautiful species that can be found in the waters of Ustica; they are abundant‚ in excellent condition‚ very large and fully opened forming large fans. We take the time to admire these beautiful fans before we return to the coastal reef.

At the reef along the coast we follow a tour that leads us through passages and arches‚ where we can explore the rocks for the presence of nudibranchs‚ octopuses and scorpion fish. Occasionally‚ a group of barracudas can be spotted in blue in this area. Returning to the bay where our dive boat is moored‚ offers a landscape of boulders and posidonia fields‚ which are a perfect habitat for groupers‚ sea bream and salema.