Portofino Marine Reserve · Italy · Pinnacle · Reef
Secca Gonzatti
A shoal compact enough to circle in 30 minutes
Area photo: Stefan Schäfer, Lich · CC BY-SA 4.0
A shoal off Punta Carega that rises to within a few metres of the surface and drops to 50 metres on its seaward side and 25 on the side facing the promontory. It is small enough to circle in half an hour, it is one of the best-known dives on the promontory, and it carries the name of Dario Gonzatti, a pioneer of Italian scuba diving.
Also known as Secca Carega, Punta Carega.
Where it is and how deep
44.3015° N, 9.1686° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The rock comes up to within about three metres of the surface — one operator puts the cap at six — so the descent is short and you can see where you are going from the moment you leave the boat. It is a compact site: divers turn the whole shoal in about thirty minutes, and that sets the shape of the dive, one lap around the rock rather than an out-and-back along a wall.
Which way you go decides how deep you get. The side facing the promontory bottoms out around 25 metres; the seaward face keeps dropping to 50, and that is the part that takes the site outside easy recreational depth. Dentex hunt across it, and the rock carries scorpionfish and sea bream along with gorgonians and coral. Finish shallow on the cap, where the light and the fish are both concentrated.
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
- The outer face falls to 50 metres with nothing to stop you following it down; agree a maximum depth before the dive rather than in the water.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Secca Gonzatti?+
The rock starts about three metres below the surface. On the side facing the promontory it bottoms out at 25 metres, and on the seaward side it drops to 50, so the depth of the dive is chosen by which face you follow.
Sources
- Area naturale marina protetta Portofino — Wikivoyage (IT)
- Secca Carega (Secca Gonzatti) 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
A rock spine with a crest at 12 m and groupers along its length
A steep gorge to 25 m holding the remains of an old anchorage
Pinnacle
I Picchi
Tavolara & La Maddalena · Italy
Twin granite spires breaking the surface, with an arch at 26 m
An offshore sec in the current, 25 m up to 19 m