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

Scoglio Penna

A crack lined with colourful cup corals on the swim back to the boat

Scoglio Penna is a sharp, narrow rock on the south side of Ieranto bay, facing Punta Campanella. Its steep walls are pierced by a natural arch and carry life on every side, above all on the seaward face, which drops past 45 m under red and yellow gorgonians.

Also known as Penna Rock, Scoglio a Penna, Penna.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Scoglio Penna: 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.

40.5697° N, 14.3400° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The route usually starts on the north side of the rock and heads east. Passing fish such as amberjack and barracuda often swim by, and isolated boulders at about 20 m hide the dens of conger eels, white sea bream and brown meagre. The dive ends back at the boat through a crack at about 6 m, carpeted in brightly coloured Astroides cup corals and Parazoanthus.

Marine life and season

  • Trevally & jacks
  • Barracuda
Month-by-month season rating for Scoglio Penna
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 rock can be strong.

Dive videos

Scoglio Penna AMP Punta Campanella con Punta Campanella Diving Center · Pierluigi Monini on YouTube

Sources

  1. Immersione Scoglio Penna — Punta Campanella Diving Sorrento
  2. Diving Sorrento - Nettuno Residence Diving — Nettuno Residence Diving
  3. OpenStreetMap geocoding — OpenStreetMap

More dive sites in Punta Campanella & the Sorrento Coast

Pinnacle

Banco di Santa Croce

Five large rock pinnacles under protection since 1993

9–50 m · max 60 madvanced

Cave & cavern

Grotta dell'Isca

Surfacing inside the islet in a large chamber full of breathable air

to 7 mintermediate

Cave & cavern

Grotta di Mitigliano

A vertical shaft with a breathable air pocket inside the cavern

6–15 mintermediate

Wall

Li Galli

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

to 20 m · max 50 madvanced

Wall

Punta di Montalto

Gorgonians in shades through to bright yellow below a tower cliff

to 30 m · max 55 mintermediate

Pinnacle

Scoglio del Vervece

A bronze Madonna placed by devout divers stands on the rock at 12 m

to 40 m · max 50 madvanced

Similar dives elsewhere

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Middle Finger

Malta & Gozo · Malta

A rock needle with a view over the wall into open blue water

10–40 madvanced

Pinnacle

Secca della Colombara

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Barracuda over a 2.5 m summit, gorgonians and a 2005 wreck below

5–40 m · max 50 madvanced

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Secca di Fonza

Elba & the Tuscan Archipelago · Italy

A shoal 100 m off Fonza beach: cap at 4 m, east wall straight to sand at 40 m

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Els Farallons

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Maze-like rock stacks full of red sea fans to 40 m

to 40 m · max 45 madvanced