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Three rocky islets with green scrub on top rise from a deep blue sea, seen from a hillside with yellow flowers — Li Galli, Punta Campanella & the Sorrento Coast

Punta Campanella & the Sorrento Coast · Italy · Wall · Reef

Li Galli

White gorgonians on a plateau, yellow sea fans down the wall below

Photo: Gianfranco Vitolo · CC BY 2.0

Li Galli is a group of three islets in the Gulf of Salerno, Gallo Lungo, La Rotonda and La Castelluccia, almost opposite Positano. Their walls and shoals sit in zone B of the Punta Campanella reserve, and divers come for gorgonian-hung walls that drop to 50 m and for passing tuna and amberjack.

Also known as Isole Li Galli, Gallo Lungo, Galli Islands.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Li Galli: typical dive to 20 m (to 66 ft), deepest point 50 m (164 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit20 m50 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 60 m (197 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

40.5817° N, 14.4297° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The descent lands straight on a plateau at 15 m covered in white gorgonians. With the wall kept on the right, the route goes on to a ledge at about 20 m, from which the wall plunges into the blue in steps of yellow gorgonians.

Staying at the ledge, passing fish such as little tunny and amberjack are easy to meet, while the cracks in the wall hold moray eels, groupers and brown meagre.

Marine life and season

  • Tuna
  • Trevally & jacks
  • Groupers
Month-by-month season rating for Li Galli
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairGoodPrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodPrimePrimeGoodFair

Season follows Punta Campanella & the Sorrento Coast: Spring and autumn bring the most tuna and yellowtail to Li Galli; the sea warms from 14 °C (57 °F) in February to 26 °C (79 °F) in August.

Know before you go

  • Current around the islets can be strong.

Dive videos

Immersione isola li galli 13 06 2015 per youtube · Giuseppe Fabio Cantone on YouTube

Sources

  1. Immersione agli isolotti de Li Galli — Punta Campanella Diving Sorrento
  2. Diving Sorrento - Nettuno Residence Diving — Nettuno Residence Diving
  3. OpenStreetMap geocoding — OpenStreetMap

Photo credits

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