Golfe de Valinco · France · Wall
Le Jardin
A rare Corsican black-coral branch in the 35 m zone
Area photo: Valinco Drone · CC BY-SA 4.0
Le Jardin is a rock the Porto-Pollo centre reserves for experienced Level 2 divers. Scubago puts the top of it at 22 m and the centre gives the site as culminating at 27 m; either way there is no shallow part to it. A drop-off on the north side falls to 42 m, while the south side slopes off more gently to 38 m. One of the rare black-coral branches in Corsica grows here in the 35 m zone.
Where it is and how deep
41.6924° N, 8.7853° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
There is no shallow part to this dive. The boat takes you out from the centre and you descend onto a rock whose top the Scubago entry gives as 22 m and the Porto-Pollo centre as 27 m, which is where the dive begins rather than where it deepens. The north side of the rock is a drop-off to 42 m; the south side descends more gradually to 38 m, and the choice between them sets the shape of the profile.
The black coral is the thing to see — one of the few branches in Corsica, in the 35 m zone — and the walls around it are hung with red gorgonians. Mostelle, dentex and grouper are all named along this rock, and nudibranchs are on it throughout. The Porto-Pollo centre describes the site as little visited.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Nudibranchs
| 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 Golfe de Valinco: Both centres run April to November and close for the winter; the water is 18 °C at the edges of that season and 23 °C at its height.
Questions divers ask
What certification do I need for Le Jardin?+
The Porto-Pollo centre reserves it for experienced Level 2 divers. The top of the rock is at 22 to 27 m depending on the source, and the north drop-off runs to 42 m, so there is no shallower version of the dive.
Sources
- Le Jardin — Scubago (SSI)
- Sites et spots de plongée - Porto Pollo (archived) — 3P Porto Pollo Plongée via Wayback Machine
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