Corsica · France · Sand slope
Saint François
A marble statue on the sand at 24 m, and the bay's octopus ground
Area photo: Arnaud Abadie · CC BY 3.0
Saint François is Calvi's sand-and-statue dive, and the local octopus site. A submerged marble maiden stands on the bottom 24 m down, and the swim out to her is the deeper half of the dive. It is a hunting dive rather than a route — sandy ground, eyes down, and no published depth other than the statue's.
Where it is and how deep
42.5713° N, 8.7566° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Boats run out from Calvi's Port de Plaisance and the dive is a search rather than a route: sandy bottom, and a marble maiden standing on it 24 m down. Scubago frames the statue as a pilgrimage for the more experienced in the group, so settle the depth first and spend the rest of the dive shallower. No shallow-end figure is published for the site, so the guide sets the profile.
What you are there for is octopus — Scubago calls this THE octopus site, and finding them on the sandy bottom is the whole of the dive. Grouper turn up as well, and Scubago's line is that when the grouper is about, the octopus stay out of sight. Work slowly with your eyes on the sand, and treat the 24 m statue as the deepest point of the dive rather than the point of it.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Corsica: Corsica's dive season runs roughly May to October; July and August are the peak tourist months, so June and September give the same sites with fewer boats.
Know before you go
- The only published depth here is the statue's, 24 m, and nothing shallower is documented — agree a maximum with the guide before you drop rather than following the group down.
Questions divers ask
Why is Saint François called the octopus site?+
Because octopus are what it is dived for — Scubago calls it THE octopus site, and the search for them on the sandy bottom is the dive. Grouper come through as well, and Scubago's note is that when the grouper is about, the octopus stay out of sight.
How deep is the statue at Saint François?+
The submerged marble maiden stands on a sandy bottom 24 metres down. That is the only published depth for the site, and it puts the statue past entry-level limits even though the shallower ground around it is easier.
Sources
- Saint François - Scubago — Scubago
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