Ischia & Procida · Italy · Seamount · Wall
Secca delle Formiche
Volcanic pinnacles where amberjack, tuna and barracuda school
A cluster of submerged volcanic pinnacles in the channel between Ischia and the islet of Vivara, inside the Regno di Nettuno marine protected area. The pinnacle walls carry red coral, large gorgonian fans and golden zoanthids, and the exposed position draws pelagic schools, which makes it one of the finest open-water dives in the Gulf of Naples.
Also known as Secca delle Formiche di Vivara.
Where it is and how deep
40.7370° N, 13.9850° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The pinnacles top out within 15 m of the surface and fall away to their bases at 50 m. Their walls are smothered in red coral, large gorgonian fans and dense colonies of golden zoanthids, with moray eels, scorpionfish and white seabream sheltering among the rock.
Because the shoal stands in open water between the islands, schools of amberjack, tuna and barracuda pass along the pinnacles. Currents over the shoal can be strong and unpredictable.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Tuna
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good |
Season follows Ischia & Procida: May to October is the best stretch, with warmer water and generally good visibility; one Forio centre keeps diving through the winter.
Know before you go
- Currents over the pinnacles can be strong and unpredictable.
Dive videos
Secca delle Formiche La valle del corallo nero · Calypso blu on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can anyone dive the Secca delle Formiche?+
The shoal lies in a no-take B zone of the Regno di Nettuno marine protected area, where diving is allowed only when authorised by the reserve's manager, so it is dived with an authorised local centre.
Sources
- Secca delle Formiche di Vivara — DivePlanner Pro
- Immersioni subacquee Ischia — Freedome
More dive sites in Ischia & Procida
Wall
Yellow then red gorgonian belts, with red coral at 45 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A submerged mountain from 55 m to 3 m, four hulls on its flanks
A rock needle to 3 m, with a conger cave at 22 m on its east side
A canyon splits the shoal into two caps
A seamount circled at the edge of the northern reserve