Marine life
Thanks to its 4 350 miles of coast, Italy is an ideal destination for divers. Fine sandy beaches, charming caves, limestone tunnels and colorful gorgonian corals will please divers from all over the world. Famous for its gastronomy, old buildings and rich history, this country as beautiful on the ground as underwater, also have a dozen islands including Sicily, Sardinia, Elba Island, Ponza Island, and Ventotene.
Best time to go diving in Italy?
The Italian dive sites are located in the Mediterranean Sea. The mild climate and the weak currents make the area accessible to divers, whether they are beginners or advanced. You should know that most of the spots are reachable by boat.
The best period to dive in Italy is from April to November. Be careful, August can be very crowded.
Diving conditions
The visibility is particularly good since it generally goes from 50 to 130 feet. The depth of the spots goes from 32 to 130 feet.
The currents vary from weak to medium intensity everywhere on the territory. But they remain very rare.
Level required: It is not necessary to be a professional to dive in Italy. Indeed, some spots, like Pietra Del Bagno in Sicily, are open to beginners.
The water temperature goes from 13° to 26°C 55° to 79°F.
Diving Cruise in Italy
You will have the chance to see different diving spots around the island of Elba. If you are an underwater art lover, the Punta della Madonna is for you. You can book your next dive cruise in Italy by booking on liveaboard.
What to see while diving?
With its numerous dive spots, Italy offers divers a rich experience as these dive spots are bursting with a lot of different marine species. Besides, the red corals and colored gorgonians give the spots a unique atmosphere. First of all, while diving in Italy, you will meet, for sure, school of groupers. This fish, famous among fishermen, is an emblematic species of the Mediterranean Sea. A lot of barracudas are also living in the Mediterranean Sea. With its elongated body, this fish can reach 2 meters long and 110 pounds. This intimidating fish because of its long sharp teeth shows some curiosity since it does not hesitate to swim close to divers. Another celebrity of these water… the moray eel! Part of the eel family, this fish is recognizable thanks to its particular shape, similar as the snake’s. Divers use to bring some food to attract it out of its hole, but you should be careful and avoid its bite! In some places, you will be able to progress among small octopuses, especially in Sardinia. Be careful, this king of camouflage won’t hesitate to project an ink squirt if feeling threatened. Finally, for the luckiest ones, it will be possible to see wonderful loggerhead sea turtles caretta caretta, since they come close to the coasts during the egg-laying season. You will be able to find them offshore Lampedusa, on the Secca Di Levante dive spot.
