naturalistic
archaeological
Naturalistic and archaeological
Browsed itineraries of Sicily and discover the wonders above and below the water of a timeless island
GROTTA DEL BUE MARINO
The large boulder of conger
The underwater pathway starts on the western side of the shoal, where the first peak at the depth of 3 m can be easily reached. Upon arriving, follow the landslide of rocks as they descend to the sandy seabed below, at a depth of approximately 40 m. From here, in order to reach the craft’s remains, the route to be followed is that which is indicated by the presence of a cylinder anemone (Cerianthus membranaceus) on the sand below.
A dark long narrow silhouette will begin to appear on the sandy sea floor, at a depth of 46 m: it is a section of a raft just over ten metres long and a couple of metres wide. After exploring the remains, the dive’s second destination can be reached by heading back to the side of the shoal and following the rocky seabed to the left. At a depth of about 20 m, where the seabed mainly consists of large isolated boulders, the linearity of the rocky slope is interrupted and converges decisively towards the centre of the lava mass. The channel leads to the entrance of a small tunnel, which shortens the dive by providing a way to cross the ridge.
Browsed itineraries of Sicily and discover the wonders above and below the water of a timeless island
RELITTO DEI CANNONI
The barbary pirate ship of Punta Libeccio
Just north of Punta Libeccio, at about 100 m from the coast, a site known as the “Relitto dei Cannoni” (the “Wreckage of Cannons’’) can be found at a depth of 15 m. The gently sloping seabed, which is characterised by naturally split rocks alternating with clearings of sand and gravel, contains traces of an ancient shipwreck: eight cannons of uniform size and characteristics, six of which are lying in disarray along a vaguely rectilinear axis, while the other two are offset by about 20 m to the west. The total distance between the farthest cannons is about 30 m.
Browsed itineraries of Sicily and discover the wonders above and below the water of a timeless island
Capo Graziano
The marine archaeological itinerary of ancient and modern times
The itinerary is marked by a guiding rope, which is initially fastened to the wall, and then to the bottom at a depth of 29 metres. The dive starts (with sign 0) at the mooring buoy, following an S/N heading. After a brief pause on the top of the shoal, you will begin your descent and will encounter the first artefacts at a depth of about 30 m. Keeping the wall of the shoal on the left and turning right (at sign 2), you will come to the observation platform at a depth of about 30 m (sign 3), from which you can observe wreck A, known as “Roghi” (from the 2nd century B.C.), which is located at depths ranging from 36 to 45 metres. Re-ascending to the depth of 28 m, you will come to a cave (sign 4) that boasts an abundance of natural features. Continuing on, a stone anchor dating back to the fifth century B.C. can be found in the vicinity of a landslide, at a depth of around 25 m (sign 5). Heading back towards the surface, the route turns south through a channel full of small caves (sign 6) at around 8 m, where remains of more recent origins can be found. From here, you will soon return to the starting point (sign 0).