Bergeggi, Noli, Spotorno & Finale Ligure · Italy · Reef · Night
La Franata
Alicia mirabilis anemones out on the boulders at night
Area photo: Franciop · CC BY-SA 3.0
La Franata is a rock slide on Bergeggi island falling from 1 m to 30 m, one of the reserve's principal dive points. The tumbled boulders are riddled with burrows and holes — dens for octopus, morays and congers — and around 15 m a meadow of algae holds wrasse of several species.
Where it is and how deep
44.2337° N, 8.4466° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
You enter over the top of the slide, where the rock starts at barely 1 m, and follow the steep slope of boulders down toward its maximum at 30 m. There is no navigation problem: the slide itself is the route, down as far as your plan allows, then back up the same tumbled rock toward the island.
The interest is in the holes. The slide is full of burrows and crevices — ideal habitat for countless species, and the dens here belong to octopus, morays and congers — so the dive is slow, close-up work along the rock. At about 15 m an algae meadow spreads between the boulders with several species of wrasse over it. Dived at night the site changes character: Alicia mirabilis anemones emerge and are easy to encounter on the night dive.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Macro critters
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Bergeggi, Noli, Spotorno & Finale Ligure: No closed season — the cutoff is wind, with grecale above roughly 15–18 knots stopping diving. Water falls to 13°C in February and peaks near 24°C in August.
Sources
- AMP Isola di Bergeggi — Siti di immersione — Area Marina Protetta Isola di Bergeggi
- Franata (scubago) — Scubago
- Area marina protetta Isola di Bergeggi — Wikipedia (IT)
More dive sites in Bergeggi, Noli, Spotorno & Finale Ligure
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Similar dives elsewhere
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Pre-coralligenous rock from 17 to 30 m, dived day and night
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The Mediterranean's largest anemone, Alicia mirabilis, on a night-diveable shoal