Scoglio del Vervece is a small rock breaking the surface off Massa Lubrense, the top of a submarine mountain inside zone A of the Punta Campanella reserve. Its sides drop to 50 m, a bronze Madonna stands on the rock below the surface, and resident barracuda shoal around it.
Also known as Vervece, Relitto del Vervece.
Where it is and how deep
40.6025° N, 14.3310° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
At 12 m stands the bronze statue of the Madonna, set there by devout divers in the seventies and the subject of a popular religious feast. Dentex, white sea bream, sea bass and large groupers are regular sights around the rock, along with a very large school of resident barracuda.
Nearby lies the wreck of an old 30 m cargo ship. It is too far to swim to from the rock, so this dive starts in open water: divers descend into the blue along a rope to 40 m.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
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 at the rock varies in strength and can be strong.
Dive videos
IMMERSIONE SCOGLIO DEL VERVECE ( Vervece Dive ) - Sorrento (Italy) · Sorrento Diving Team on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can the Vervece wreck be reached from the rock?+
No. The 30 m cargo ship lies too far from the rock, so divers drop to it along a rope to 40 m, and the dive is for experienced divers.
Sources
- Immersione Scoglio del Vervece — Punta Campanella Diving Sorrento
- Diving Sorrento - Nettuno Residence Diving — Nettuno Residence Diving
Photo credits
- A low grey rock with a small navigation light on top sits on a calm blue sea, a motorboat passing to its left by Ruthven, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Punta Campanella & the Sorrento Coast
Pinnacle
Five large rock pinnacles under protection since 1993
Cave & cavern
Surfacing inside the islet in a large chamber full of breathable air
A vertical shaft with a breathable air pocket inside the cavern
White gorgonians on a plateau, yellow sea fans down the wall below
Gorgonians in shades through to bright yellow below a tower cliff
Pinnacle
A crack lined with colourful cup corals on the swim back to the boat
Similar dives elsewhere
Maze-like rock stacks full of red sea fans to 40 m
Rock towers rising from 50 m to 6 m below the surface
Barracuda over a 2.5 m summit, gorgonians and a 2005 wreck below
A shoal 100 m off Fonza beach: cap at 4 m, east wall straight to sand at 40 m