Santa Maria di Leuca · Italy · Coral garden · Wall
Le Ancore
Gardens of large yellow and red gorgonians on sand, and a sunken anchor
Le Ancore is a deep dive for experienced divers on a bank off the cape at Santa Maria di Leuca. Its draw is the gardens of large yellow and red gorgonians on a sandy bottom, fed by the nutrients that strong prevailing currents carry through the area.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Santa Maria di Leuca and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The boat moors on a wall at 27 m, and the dive drops from there to the gardens of large yellow and red gorgonians that spread over the sandy bottom between 32 and 40 m. Groupers, barracuda and nudibranchs, including flabellinas, turn up on some dives. Just before the ascent to the surface, a sunken anchor can be seen at 32 m.
Marine life and season
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good |
Season follows Santa Maria di Leuca: Early summer brings sunfish and July and August the warmest sea; February is the coldest month.
Know before you go
- Strong prevailing currents run through this part of the coast and over the gorgonian gardens.
Questions divers ask
What training does Le Ancore need?+
Deep training. The mooring is on the wall at 27 m and the gorgonian gardens lie between 32 and 40 m, in strong currents.
Sources
- Immersioni - Diving Service — Diving Service
More dive sites in Santa Maria di Leuca
Cave & cavern
Mushroom-shaped boulders leading into the submerged part of a sea cave
Artificial reef
A statue of the Madonna on the seabed below the Leuca lighthouse
Seamount
A forest of red and yellow gorgonians on the flanks of a sunken dome
Coral garden
Broad rock steps thick with gorgonians on a bank swept by current
Wreck
A Turkish freighter sitting upright as if still under way
Similar dives elsewhere
Yellow-orange sea fans hosting Grieg's tritonia nudibranchs
Two dives in one: an easier south side to 35 m, a deep north side past 40 m
A long arch descending the wall next to the Formentor islet
Hawksbill turtles and jack schools over protected coral