Polignano a Mare & Monopoli · Italy · Wall · Cave & cavern
Port'alga
Sponge-lined grottoes outside an old fishermen's cove
Photo: Giampierobattista · CC BY-SA 4.0
Port'alga is an old fishermen's cove on the Polignano a Mare coast and the starting point of a shore dive along walls and rockfalls. Divers go for the sponge-lined grottoes and the chance of finding Flabellina nudibranchs.
Also known as Porto Alga, Portalga, Port'alga parete destra, Cala Port'alga.
Where it is and how deep
40.9914° N, 17.2391° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The route heads out of the cove and follows attractive walls and small rockfalls that hold many forms of life, reaching a maximum of 30 m. Along the way a few submerged grottoes are lined with brightly coloured sponges, and with a little luck a Flabellina nudibranch turns up.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Polignano a Mare & Monopoli: September is the pick, with the sea at 24–25 °C and the summer crowds gone; May and June are quiet too, and the water bottoms out near 14 °C in midwinter.
Dive videos
Cave exploration in Cala Port'Alga in Puglia. · Diving Puglia (D.C) on YouTube
Sources
- Immersioni - Diving Subinastinenza — Diving Subinastinenza
- La costa di Polignano a Mare — A.S.D. Immersion Bisceglie
- Port'alga parete destra — ScubaGo
Photo credits
- Four small wooden rowing boats, three green and one blue, and a sailing boat moored in calm water below a rocky headland. by Giampierobattista, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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