Site 13 - Costiera di Ponente

On the western side of the island, in the vicinity of a large tourist complex, it is possible to take diving trips to appreciate an exciting variety of colourful and diverse landscapes, even at a depth of only ten metres. The location is also suitable for snorkelling. This dive takes place at the foot of an abrasion terrace located at a depth of about 9 m, evidence of the different phases of the sea level. Caves and chimneys, with easy passages and access to the surface, offer plays of light and colour thanks to the presence of carpets of coralline algae, the green alga Palmophyllum crassum, and the orange colonial madrepore (Astroides calycularis). In addition to the calcareous tubes of numerous serpulids, many sponges cover the rock: among them Clathrina clathrus, C. coriacea, Agelas oroides, Petrobiona massiliana and Petrosia ficiformis. The latter species provide food for the nudibranch Discodoris atromaculata, also known as the sea cow. The vaults of the caves and through holes offer shelter to the magnosa (Scyllarides latus), small specimens of the brown grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) and the stars Ophidiaster ophidianus and Echinaster sepositus. On the well-lit rocky portions, the algal cover dominates: in addition to the well-known species Padina pavonica, Acetabularia acetabulum and Dictyota dichotoma, there is the balloon seaweed (Colpomenia sinuosa) and the green pads of Codium coralloides. Between 8 and 10 m depth, islands of Posidonia oceanica alternate with bare rocky areas that bear witness to the grazing of urchins (Arbacia lixula, Paracentrotus lividus). In the sandy basins, the holoturians Holoturia forskalii and H. tubulosa stand out. On the dimly lit portions of the boulders, the orange colours of Astroides calycularis, the yellow madrepore (Leptopsammia pruvoti), the red of the seaweed Sphaerococcus coronopifolius, the ascidian Halocynthia papillosa and the false coral (Myriapora truncata), the brown algae (Halopteris filicina and Stypocaulon scoparium) and the green algae (Caulerpa racemosa) stand out. Among the fish are the bogue (Boops boops), the salpa (Sarpa salpa), the banded seabream (Diplodus vulgaris), the peacock damsel (Thalassoma pavo), the black-tailed wrasse (Sympodus melanocercus) and the peacock wrasse (S. tinca).

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