Polignano a Mare & Monopoli · Italy · Wall
Scoglio dell'Eremita
A long swim along the north wall to the islet's outer point
Photo: Luangiphoto · CC BY-SA 4.0
Scoglio dell'Eremita is the islet of San Paolo, facing the southern outskirts of Polignano a Mare. Its steep north wall gives one of the deeper dives on this coast, and divers go for the conger eels, octopus and lobster that hide in its cracks.
Also known as Isola di San Paolo, Scoglio dell'Eremita Parete Sud.
Where it is and how deep
40.9935° N, 17.2363° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
On the north side the wall falls steeply to 24 m. The route follows it for about 250 m to the outer point of the islet, at roughly 32 m. All along the way, crevices and cracks hide conger eels, octopus, lobster, large white sea bream and corvina.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| 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
Scoglio dell'Eremita - Polignano a Mare (Ba) · Nanni Bassetti on YouTube
IMMERSIONE NOTTURNA SCOGLIO DELL'EREMITA - Evolveo W8 · Nanni Bassetti on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can Scoglio dell'Eremita be dived from the shore?+
Yes. Divers swim out from the coast over a bottom of about 6–7 m to reach the islet, which is also visited by RIB.
Sources
- Immersioni - Diving Subinastinenza — Diving Subinastinenza
- La costa di Polignano a Mare — A.S.D. Immersion Bisceglie
Photo credits
- A small dark rocky islet with a cross on top sits in calm blue sea, seen from pale limestone rocks on the shore at dusk. by Luangiphoto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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