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Shimmering water rising past a pale rock crusted with bright green algae and dark red weed, underwater — Pantelleria

Pantelleria · Italy · Wall

Punta Li Marsi

A Second World War mine at 32 m on a gently sloping wall

Area photo: Waielbi · CC BY-SA 3.0

Punta Li Marsi is a point on the southern side of Pantelleria, close to Martingana. A volcanic wall slopes very gently towards the seabed, and its cracks hold moray eels, lobsters and large octopus, while dentex, amberjack and dusky groupers can be met along the rock.

Also known as Punta Limarsi, Punta li Marsi.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Punta Li Marsi: typical dive to 32 m (to 105 ft), deepest point 40 m (130 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit32 m40 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

36.7397° N, 12.0321° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The dive follows a wall that descends only slightly towards the bottom, with the seabed running alongside it like a shoulder. Dentex, amberjack and dusky groupers turn up along the way, and the cracks in the rock hide moray eels, lobsters and big octopus. At 32 m the route reaches a mine from the Second World War. Below it the wall keeps sinking very slowly to a seabed at about 40 m.

Marine life and season

  • Groupers
  • Trevally & jacks
  • Octopus & cuttlefish
Month-by-month season rating for Punta Li Marsi
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairFairFairFairGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodFair

Season follows Pantelleria: The sea feels quite warm from June to October and cool from December to May; dives can be booked all year.

Questions divers ask

What certification does the mine at Punta Li Marsi need?+

The mine lies at 32 m, beyond the recreational limit of an Open Water course, so deep training is needed to reach it.

Sources

  1. Immersioni - Dive-X — Dive-X Cala Gadir
  2. Immersioni a Pantelleria — Green Divers

More dive sites in Pantelleria

Reef

Cala Gadir

A Roman anchor and Punic amphorae in an ancient harbour cove

16–30 mintermediate

Wall

Punta Rubasacchi

Tuna and skipjacks off a deep wall on the east coast

to 35 madvanced

Seamount

Secca di Campobello

Groupers and big moray eels on a current-swept shoal

12–38 madvanced

Similar dives elsewhere

Wall

Il Canalone

Bergeggi, Noli, Spotorno & Finale Ligure · Italy

A yellow-daisy wall at 20–30 m with groupers and barracuda over it

8–30 m · max 32 mintermediate

Wall

St. George's Island

Akamas Peninsula & Latchi · Cyprus

16th-century stone anchors among amphora shards off the island

8–34 m · max 40 madvanced

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Fungus Rock

Malta & Gozo · Malta

Amberjacks, tuna and barracuda along a steep open-sea wall

5–30 m · max 60 madvanced

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Punta Milà

Costa Brava · Spain

A cave at 19 m that marks the way back along the wall

6–25 mintermediate