Marettimo

SICCHITEDDA ‘NGRANA

The ciliate and the channel

General Description

The dive starts at a depth of 10 to 12 m on top of the shoal, where the seabed is characterised by rocks forming a number of pinnacles. Swim to the north-west until you come to a short but steep ciliate at a depth of 20 m, on a seabed covered with sandy detritus. To the south-west, a short canal separates a large rock outcropping from the shoal itself. Swimming through it, you will reach the maximum depth of 23 m. Beneath this south-eastern ciliate, the shoal features several indentations where the sea floor is covered by sand. 

Naturalistic Features

The pinnacles are densely covered by plant and animal life, around which groups of small white, common two-banded and saddled seabream and salema porgy can often be found swimming. Cardinalfish and rock-dwelling species like forkbeards, brown groupers, congers and moray eels can often be found in the crevices. The vegetation, which is sparse in certain areas, is mainly characterised by prickly pear of the sea algae and sea grass. The steep ciliate is regularly frequented by schools of chromis chromis, while the rock is covered with sponges (primarily belonging to the genus Cacospongia). It is not uncommon to encounter various species of sea stars amid the rocks and sandy plains, as well as black seabream, pandoras, and shi drum. Numerous serpulid polychaetes (like protula tubularia) and sabellid polychaetes (like the Mediterranean fanworms) can be found on the eastern/south- eastern wall of the shoal. Large yellow gorgonian sea fans can be observed starting from the depth of 20 m. The sandy seabed is an ideal habitat for bivalve fan mussels and gobies. Red mullets and other mullet species are also commonly encountered. 

area

Aegadian Islands

itinerary

SICCHITEDDA ‘NGRANA

position

37° 56,936’ longitude - 012° 03,365' latitude

license

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

Type of route

Shallows | Rock | Sand | Other

dive start

only from a boat

Maximum depth

30

path length

up to 100

nature of the bottom

Posidonia | Sand | Rock

Current probability

average

orientation

Easy

level of difficulty

Easy

Type of interest

Naturalistic

Flora and fauna

Posidonia | Peyssonnelia Red Alga | Other flora | Stone Bass | Other hole fishes | Lobsters | Octopus | Shellfishes | Soft Corals | Sponges

route subject to authorization

yes

itinerary illustration

comments
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