Ponza & the Pontine Islands · Italy · Wall · Cave & cavern
Le Formiche
Gullies at 30 m over a ledge past 50 m, with a cave entered by a siphon at 18 m
Area photo: Seba Sofariu from Dublin, Ireland · CC BY 2.0
Le Formiche is a rock site where gullies at 30 m open onto a ledge that slopes away to more than 50 m, with a small cave reached through a siphon at 18 m. Groupers and moray eels shelter in the rock and the walls carry gorgonians, clavelines, sponges and parazoanthus, so the site rewards a slow look at the walls as much as a push for depth.
Where it is and how deep
40.8847° N, 12.9806° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The first feature is the shallowest. At 18 m a siphon gives access to a small cave, and if you are going in it makes sense to do it early in the dive while gas and no-decompression time are at their best. Go with a light and a guide, keep the entrance in view, and do not push it: it is a small cave, not a system. Outside, the rock is covered in gorgonians, clavelines, sponges and parazoanthus, and moray eels sit in the cracks.
From the cave continue down to the gullies at 30 m. They overlook a ledge that keeps sloping down to more than 50 m, which is where the recreational dive stops and the technical one begins; on a single tank, hold the gullies as your floor and use the slope only as a view. Groupers hold in the sheltered gaps between the rocks here. Turn the dive at the gullies and work back up the wall, taking the ascent slowly over the gorgonians, and finish with a safety stop on the shallower rock.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Ponza & the Pontine Islands: Diving runs April to early November and all but stops December–February; water peaks around 26–27 °C in August and is down to 14–15°C in March–April. Naples ferries are summer-only.
Know before you go
- The cave is entered through a siphon at 18 m: an overhead environment, so go only with a light, a guide and the entrance in sight.
- The ledge below the 30 m gullies slopes past 50 m: set a hard floor at the gullies on recreational gear.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Le Formiche?+
The small cave is entered through a siphon at 18 m, the gullies sit at 30 m, and the ledge below them slopes down to more than 50 m, so the recreational dive runs between 18 and 30 m.
Sources
- Le Formiche — Scubago
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