Elba & the Tuscan Archipelago · Italy · Reef
Morcone Bay
Walk-in shore bay near Capoliveri in 2–10 m, with turtles since 2021
Area photo: CTHOE · CC BY-SA 3.0
Morcone Bay is a small bay directly on Morcone beach near Capoliveri, a shore site suited to novice divers and training dives. You walk straight into the water from the beach and the depth runs from 2 to 10 m. Octopus, starfish and barracuda live here, and since 2021 turtles have been seen in the bay as well.
Where it is and how deep
42.7316° N, 10.3727° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive starts from the sand of Morcone beach: you walk into the water and descend within the small bay in front of it. The depth ranges from 2 to 10 m, so there is no drop-off to find and no boat schedule; the whole dive is a slow tour of the bay at a depth where a novice can concentrate on buoyancy and on what is living on the bottom.
The animals the source lists for the bay are octopus and starfish on the bottom, barracuda that come through, and turtles, which have been seen here since 2021, so keep looking around and above you as well as at the sand. Turn when you reach the far side of the bay and follow the bottom back to the beach, surfacing where you walked in.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Barracuda
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Elba & the Tuscan Archipelago: The season runs May–September with a warm October; the sea bottoms out near 14 °C in February–March, spring and autumn winds push boats to sheltered sites, and Pianosa's buoys open April–November.
Questions divers ask
Is Morcone Bay good for beginners?+
Yes. It is a small bay walked into from Morcone beach with depths from 2 to 10 m, described as excellent for novice divers learning about Elba's underwater life.
Sources
- Morcone Bay — Scubago
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with sea turtlesBig animals · 15 min read
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