Corsica · France · Reef · Cave & cavern · Wall
Stareso
Reefs, caves and drop-offs from 5 m to 50 m by the research station
Area photo: Arnaud Abadie · CC BY 3.0
Stareso is the dive beside the Revellata research station and the broadest site on the Calvi list: reefs, caves and drop-offs spread between 5 and 50 m, which is a first open-water dive and a deep one on the same piece of coast. Grouper, corb and lobster are the residents, with schools of small colourful fish over the shallow rock.
Where it is and how deep
42.5801° N, 8.7256° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The ground here runs from 5 m down to 50, and the dive is chosen out of that range rather than fixed: shallow reef and caves for one group, the drop-offs for another. Scubago calls the water clear and the site suitable for divers of all levels, which is true of the top of it — the 50 m end is a different dive and needs the training to match.
Whichever depth you take, the cast is the same. Grouper head the site's species list, corb hold over the reef, lobster back into the cracks, and schools of small colourful fish work across the shallow ground. The caves are worth a torch even in the middle of the day. Finish shallow — there is enough reef in the first few metres to run out the last of the gas on.
Background
The site is named for Stareso, the marine science research station the University of Liège set up in 1972 at the tip of Cap de la Revellata, where scientists could work “with their feet in the water”. The station sits above the dive, and the coast below it is the reef, cave and drop-off ground that divers work between 5 and 50 m.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Macro critters
- Reef fish swarms
| 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 ground runs to 50 m on a site described as suitable for all levels. Set a maximum depth before you get in and stay above it, rather than following the rock down.
Sources
- Stareso - Scubago — Scubago
- Le Sec des Belges - Scubago — Scubago
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