Portofino Marine Reserve · Italy · Wall · Reef
Casa del Sindaco
Rare false black coral on the points at 50 m
Area photo: Stefan Schäfer, Lich · CC BY-SA 4.0
An out-of-the-way dive at the eastern end of the promontory, infrequently visited but numbered on the reserve's own site map. Depth varies around 30 metres, where the gorgonians are thick and catshark egg cases can be found, and there are points running to 50 metres where the rare false black coral grows.
Where it is and how deep
44.3005° N, 9.2005° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Casa del Sindaco — the Mayor's House — sits at the eastern end of the promontory and is visited infrequently, which is a good part of its appeal. The ground is uneven, with depth varying around 30 metres, and that band is where the gorgonians are thickest. It is also where to look for catshark egg cases, which are found on this site among the growth.
From there the ground drops to points of 50 metres, and that is where the rare false black coral grows — the reason experienced divers make the trip out this far. Fifty metres is a short, deliberate visit: down, look, and back up onto the 30-metre ground to spend the rest of the dive among the gorgonians. It suits divers who want one specific thing and will plan the whole profile around it.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Portofino Marine Reserve: May–Oct is the settled season; visibility is often best in late autumn, and winter storms close the exposed southern walls.
Know before you go
- Fifty metres is well past no-stop diving on air; treat the false black coral as a brief planned excursion with a set turn depth and time.
Sources
- Area naturale marina protetta Portofino — Wikivoyage (IT)
- Casa del Sindaco dive site — Scubago
More dive sites in Portofino Marine Reserve
Wall
Probably the finest red coral colony in the reserve
Cave & cavern
Three caves, the deepest at 30–35 m ringed with red coral
A 2.5 m bronze Christ standing on the seabed at 17 m
Wall
A submerged tunnel through the rock at 18 m
Red coral and lobster on the rocks out towards open water
Wall
A shrimp-filled cave at 37 m under a rock headland
Large red gorgonians on the slope under the lighthouse
Green ball algae at 12–20 m, nudibranchs on the deep wall
Similar dives elsewhere
A north-south drop-off from a 5 m rock head into 45 m
A step at 30 m falling to a fan-coral plateau at 45 m
Wall to three canyons, then routes from 25 to 48 m
Fields of blue gorgonians from 30 m on a wall dropping to 45 m