Marettimo

LA CATTEDRALE

The vertical wall of colours

General Description

The top of the rocky outcropping is located a depth of 20 m, and gradually begins to descend along the rock face up to 24 m, which continuously slopes to become almost vertical. With the seabed on the left, the descent follows wall on the right. At a depth of about 40 m you will come to a deep crevice, where the bio-detritus seabed is covered with numerous boulders. It is not unusual to encounter numerous fish species during the reascent along the wall. 

Naturalistic Features

At the top, you will find expanses of sea grass and algae, including green sea balls and prickly pears of the sea, with boops boops swimming above. At the depth of 24 m, you will find the first white sea fans, while the red gorgonian sea fans make their first appearances at around 30 m. The sloping rocky wall face is populated with colourful colonies of orange coral, pink spots of Hexadella sponges, large specimens of grey hair mushroom coral, and areas inhabited by bright green Palmophyllum crassum algae. Red clouds of swallowtail seaperch accompany the descent, with numerous specimens of brown groupers hiding in their dens. The wall continues downward, rich with colourful encrustations. Two large and spectacular branches of black myriapora truncata stand out among the red sea fans. A deep rift features a substrate with numerous sponges, bryozoans, corals, sea stars. On the interior floor it is possible to see forkbeards. The boulders on the bio-detritus seabed are home to gorgonian sea fans, whose branches play host to numerous small specimens of the splendid Astrospartus Mediterraneus sea star. It is not uncommon to encounter schools of chromis chromis, common two-banded seabream, and black seabream along the wall.   

area

Aegadian Islands

itinerary

LA CATTEDRALE

position

37° 56,702’ longitude - 012° 04,800’ latitude

license

PADI - advanced | FIPSAS - third level AR | SSI - advanced

Type of route

Cliff wall | Rock

dive start

only from a boat

Maximum depth

over 39

path length

100-150

nature of the bottom

Posidonia | Rock

Current probability

high

orientation

Data not available

level of difficulty

medium-high

Type of interest

Naturalistic

Flora and fauna

Posidonia | Other flora | Stone Bass | Other hole fishes | Soft Corals | Sponges

route subject to authorization

yes

itinerary illustration

comments
Gallery
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