Giglio Island: Diving Paradise
The island of Giglio, besides being a natural heritage rich in terrestrial flora and fauna, guards its most precious and evocative treasures under the limpid waters of its crystal clear sea. Among caves, shoals of amberjack, large tuna some of which reach three meters, lobsters, moray eels, snappers, conger eels, groupers and many other species of smaller fish can be seen. Every now and then you may come across some pods of leaping dolphins, because let’s not forget that we are also still within the Tuscan Archipelago National Park the Cetacean sanctuary.
The island of Giglio is now one of the most important dive sites in Italy also thanks to its underwater flora rich in posidonia meadows, wonderful sea fans and colorful sponges.
Dive Points at Giglio Island
The island’s 28 kilometers of coastline are rich in inlets, caves, coves, reliefs, islets and shoals around which live various species of fish and underwater plants. Within a few kilometers you can find everything you want.
Below are some of the most striking spots to dive into:
- Secca della Croce
- Punta Subbielli
- Cove Cupa
- Le Scole
- Cat’s Paw
- Red Capel Point
- Rock of Pietrabona
- Scoglio del Corvo
- Alum Cove
- Secca dei Pignocchi
- Point of the Shoals
- Punta del Fenaio
Secca della Croce
To reach Secca della Croce, start from Giglio Porto heading north, passing Punta Gabbianara and Punta della Campana. Once we set sail, the precise spot is marked by a large rock with a distinctive cross-shaped carving. Moving away from the coast, and keeping the rock behind, after a few hundred meters the seabed reaches about 12 meters. But you can descend even further down the side most facing the open sea; in fact, the depth reaches 45-50 meters, with alternating steep walls and gentler gradients as you proceed in the direction of the island. In this spot it is possible to come across bream, croaker, snapper and amberjack.
Morphology: dry
Difficulty: medium
Depth: 12-45 m.
Recommended depth: -40
Orientation: challenging
Punta Subbielli
Cala Cupa-Gabbianara
Cala Cupa can be reached starting from Giglio Porto heading north. It is one of the most popular coves for divers, fishermen, and watercraft of all kinds. It is located just off the Lazzaretto promontory, just before reaching Arenella Cove. Those responsible for so much love for this site are surely the corals, including in particular the Gorgonians that numerous populate the walls of this cove. Gorgonians here create polyp trees up to 1 m tall, one of them the oldest (it is more than 25 years old) being the Gerardia, or “false black coral,” which with its vivid yellow and majesty alone is worth the whole dive. A species that in all Italian seas has been greatly reduced due to fishing and pollution and an ecosystem-insensitive diving practice, but which is responsible for the biodiversity of the environments and seas it inhabits.
Le Scole
Located south of Giglio Porto from which it is several hundred meters away, the Scole site consists of a group of rocks “decorated” by numerous varieties of sponges and walls of red gorgonians. The reference point for diving is the largest islet from which one descends in the direction of the smallest rock to a depth of 40 meters, while the submerged statue of Our Lady Stella Maris is located halfway down. This area, made famous by the tragedy of the Costa Concordia, which sank here on January 13, 2012 after impacting the smaller boulder, which embedded itself in the ship’s hull, preserves its memory through the installation of a plaque commemorating the victims of the disaster.
Morphology: landslide
Difficulty: medium
Depth:
Recommended depth: -40
Orientation: challenging
Cat’s Paw
We are located on the southeastern side ofGiglio Island between Punta Torricella to Punta Corbaia, a short distance from the beautiful Beach of “Le Caldane, “ here the seabed presents an extensive ridge formed by a long line of spurs that run parallel to the coast. The shoal is separated from the coast by a kind of sand valley, and is reached by taking a small rock outcropping from the water as a landmark. From here we dive on the perpendicular of the shoal, which culminates at a depth of 27 meters, surrounded by gorgonians and sponges. Then descending to the open sea, the seabed plummets over 50 meters, forming a series of peaks and walls where lobsters, scorpionfish and large moray eels hide.
Morphology: dry
Difficulty:
Depth: 27-45 m.
Recommended depth:
Orientation:
Red Capel Point
We are at the southern end of Giglio Island, in one of its most picturesque spots. This area includes two slopes, the western and eastern. While the former does not offer much of a spectacle, the latter is home to the largest arborescent formation of gorgonians in all of Giglio. The starting point is a cove below the Capel Rosso Lighthouse where the bottom touches 15-20 meters. Toward the open sea the underwater life begins to teem with fish, mollusks, algae, etc., until you reach 30 meters where the deep red of real Paramuricea meadows dominates. Palamite, amberjack and pelagics can also frequently be spotted among these plants and wonderful reefs.
Morphology: landslide
Difficulty: easy
Depth: 0-35 m.
Recommended depth: -35
Orientation: easy
Rock of Pietrabona
At the cove of the same name is the Pietrabona rock whose walls descend steeply to a depth of about 50 meters. Here the deep blue is broken by the yellow of gorgonians with bushes of spirographs and tunicates, while resident fish, lobsters, specimens of sunfish, and pelagics dwell between walls and coves.
Morphology:
Difficulty:
Depth: 0-45 m.
Recommended depth:
Orientation:
Scoglio del Corvo
Following the western slope of the rock that gives its name to the famous cove leads to a granite wall that stands out toward the open sea and descends to a depth of 35 meters. These high walls give rise to spectacular canyons, which from the first meters appear covered with sponges and large yellow gorgonians, while numerous crevices offer shelter to scorpionfish, moray eels and lobsters. Above 35 meters, real forests of red gorgonians are encountered, as well as a few orange candelabra sponges. It is not uncommon to witness the passage of amberjack, skipjack, snapper and, in the spring months, large sunfish. Although the current is sometimes strong in this area, the dive is also suitable for less experienced divers who, by staying at low altitudes, will be able to admire some of the most beautiful scenery in Giglio.
Morphology: landslide
Difficulty: medium
Depth: 0-40 m.
Recommended depth: -35
Orientation: challenging
Alum Cove
The characteristic feature of this cove is the presence of two caves about 10-12 meters deep. In the smaller one a statue of the Virgin Mary has been placed, while the other, half-open, gives extraordinary plays of light. To enter the second, the use of lamps is recommended.
Secca dei Pignocchi (Secca I )
The Pignocchi shoal is enclosed in the wide bay of Giglio Campese, a short distance from the coast and rises to within a few meters of the surface. The morphology of the shoal is slightly elongated and is positioned parallel to the shoreline, with large granite boulders descending to elevations close to 40 meters. Throughout the entire stretch of seabed included within a 20-meter perimeter you can admire a very lively and colorful coralligenous, going deeper the rocks that plummet to the sand hide burrows of moray eels, mustelle and conger eels.
Morphology: dry
Difficulty: easy
Depth: 5-35 m.
Recommended depth: -30
Easy orientation:
Point of the Shallows (Shallows II)
Of this shoal, the western side, the side facing the open sea, which descends more than 40 meters with a spectacular landslide of reefs colonized by gorgonians and sessile animal species such as sponges, tunicates and anemones, is especially interesting.
Diving at night, one can surprise and admire the elegant Alicia mirabilis orOctopus macropus, an octopus with reddish livery speckled with white, one can spot conger e els inside their burrows, moray eels and large mustelle.
Morphology: dry
Difficulty: medium
Depth: 10-45 m.
Recommended depth: -30
Orientation : easy
Punta del Fenaio
Here we are at the north end of Giglio Island, at one of the most spectacular sites located just below the lighthouse of the same name. The spot has strong currents so be careful when diving. Anchoring west of the lighthouse, one plunges into the slope overlooking Campese Bay. Here we descend along a wall that reaches a depth of 70 meters all dotted with red and yellow gorgonians, anemones, gorgon stars, sponges and urchins. Marine flora can be admired amid the darting of bream and barracuda to the open sea.
Morphology: wall
Difficulty: medium
Depth: 15-40 m.
Recommended depth: -40
Orientation: easy
Diving Center Giglio Island
by Andrea Criscito
Tower Street
58012 Giglio Campese (GR)
zeromenodivingcenter@gmail.com
+39 340 7538630 (Andrea)
+39 373 7226957 (Francesca)
+39 335 6824680 (Luke)
www.zeromenodivingcenter.com
of Carrier Gianmaria
Via del Saraceno 60
58012 Giglio Porto (GR)
Tel: +39 333 1042242 (Gianni)
Tel: +39 339 2813076 (Claudia)
E-mail: tecnica@internationaldiving.it
by Reiner Krumbach
Via di Mezzo Franco, 14,
58012 Giglio Campese (GR)
Tel:
+49 173 7433929
Email.: info@cdc.giglio.de
Web.: www.cdc-giglio.de
of Mattera A. & C.
Refilling Cylinders
Umberto I Street, 66
58012 Giglio Porto (GR)
Tel: 0564809506
by Massimiliano Marsalli
Cardinal Oreglia Street, 6
58012 Giglio Porto (GR)
Cell. : +393298022737
Cell. : +393493509999
Email: massimiliano.marsalli@gmail.com
by Roberto Scotto
East Pier, Red Lantern Side.
58012 Giglio Porto (GR)
Cell.: +393283797038
Email.: roberto@divingisoladelgiglio.it
Refilling Cylinders
V. Provincial,
58012 Giglio Campese (GR)
Tel: +39 0564 804078
