Ustica · Italy · Pinnacle
Punta dell'Arpa
Two rocks off sand at 40 m, walled in red gorgonians
Area photo: I viaggi della Van · CC BY-SA 4.0
About a mile and a half west of the port of Ustica, Punta dell'Arpa is marked on the surface by the rock known as the scoglio del cornutone. Underwater, two large rocks rise from sand at 40 metres, their walls colonised by large branches of red gorgonians. The dive is built around the two rocks rather than around a single wall face.
Where it is and how deep
38.6907° N, 13.1738° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site sits about a mile and a half west of the harbour, and you find it on the surface by the scoglio del cornutone, the rock that gives Punta dell'Arpa its landmark. Below, two large rocks stand up off a sandy bottom at 40 metres. The sand at their feet is the deepest point of the dive, so the plan runs down a flank and back up the rock rather than out across the bottom between them.
The walls of both rocks are colonised by large branches of red gorgonians, and they are what most divers come here to photograph. No top depth is published for the rocks, so treat the plan as a deep one: budget bottom time against the 40-metre sand, agree a turn pressure and a maximum depth on the boat rather than underwater, and make the ascent up the rock itself rather than out in the blue.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Off-season |
Season follows Ustica: May–Oct brings the warmest water, around 18–26°C, and the best visibility; many dive centers close over winter.
Know before you go
- The sand around both rocks lies at 40 m, deep enough that no-stop time is short: agree a turn pressure and a maximum depth on the boat rather than underwater.
Questions divers ask
What is there to see at Punta dell'Arpa?+
Two large rocks rise from a sandy bottom at 40 metres, and their walls are colonised by large branches of red gorgonians. On the surface the site is marked by the scoglio del cornutone, about a mile and a half west of the port of Ustica.
Sources
- Punta dell'Arpa dive site — Scubago / SSI MyDiveGuide
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