Portofino Marine Reserve · Italy · Wall
Scoglio del Diamante
Big boulders at 30–40 m with gorgonians and grouper
Area photo: Stefan Schäfer, Lich · CC BY-SA 4.0
A wall that can be dived in either direction, right shoulder or left shoulder to the rock, and one of the best places in the marine park for coral. The set piece sits between 30 and 40 metres, where large boulders lie against the wall and hold red gorgonians, grouper and forkbeard in the gaps between them.
Where it is and how deep
44.3014° N, 9.1836° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is a wall and it can be run in either direction, right shoulder or left shoulder to the rock, which means the guide picks the side according to conditions on the day rather than the topography dictating it. It is described as carrying the finest coral in the marine park, and that cover is the reason the dive is worth the depth it asks for in exchange.
Between 30 and 40 metres the wall gives way to large boulders, and that band is the heart of the dive: red gorgonians on the rock, grouper holding in the gaps between the blocks, and forkbeard in the shadows underneath them. It is deep enough that bottom time is short, so the usual plan is to drop to the boulders first, work one stretch of them properly, then come back up onto the shallower rock.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
| 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
- Thirty to 40 metres on a single tank buys minutes rather than tens of minutes; take the deep part first and watch the no-stop clock.
Sources
- Area naturale marina protetta Portofino — Wikivoyage (IT)
- Scoglio del Diamante dive site — Scubago
More dive sites in Portofino Marine Reserve
Wall
Probably the finest red coral colony in the reserve
Wall
Rare false black coral on the points at 50 m
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
Similar dives elsewhere
Flat reef to 18 m, then a wall to about 40 m
A south-facing canyon to 35 m with an old anchor at its base
Drop-off to 40 m with boulders and swim-throughs on an exposed cape
The park's best-known walls, and a cave with an air pocket