Secca della Colombara

We head northeast of the island, where after about 15 minutes of navigation we reach the shoal located about 1 mile from the coast. The Secca della Colombara is also known for the presence of a wreck; a ship carrying blocks of marble that ran aground and sank there in 2005. Today its remains are scattered along the shoal, creating a new habitat for the flora and fauna of these waters.

At this site too, there are several possible diving routes. A must is the visit to the wreck, which broke into two sections as it sank, the stern side and the bow side. These are characterized respectively by the presence of enormous dentex and groupers. Very evocative is the presence, in the bow section, of an enormous broken rope reaching towards the surface, as if bearing witness to the severed link with the outside world. Not to be missed is the search for the schools of barracuda that usually station on the northeast side of the shoal.

We begin our dive mooring on the top of the shoal at about 3m depth, on the west side the wall drops sharply to about 30m. The north side instead slopes gently down to 20m before plunging beyond 50m. Depending on the current we decide the most comfortable route to visit the shoal. Visibility is usually excellent, the presence of fish is incredible, brown groupers, golden groupers, amberjacks, sea bream, groups of bream, scorpionfish, dentex, are the prelude to the most interesting spectacle of this dive. Clouds of barracuda swimming in unison forming a shimmering circle that explodes when crossed by enormous amberjacks. The enchantment is interrupted only when our computer indicates it’s time to head back. We gain a few meters towards the surface and head towards the top of the shoal, where we will do our safety stop, admiring the clarity of the waters of the sea of Ustica while groups of peacock wrasse entertain us with their dances.