Italy
Volcanic island north of Palermo protected by Italy's oldest marine reserve, known for gorgonian walls, numerous caves, the Secca della Colombara pinnacle and abundant dusky groupers.
Ustica is a small volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, about an hour and a half by boat from Palermo. Its marine protected area was established in 1986 as one of Italy's first marine reserves and covers more than 15,000 hectares, divided into zones with different levels of protection. The island is particularly known for scuba diving and has several dive schools; it is often called the Italian capital of scuba diving. Most dive sites lie on the southern side, while the northern zone includes well-known sites such as Scoglio del Medico and the Secca della Colombara pinnacle. Divers find walls covered with gorgonians, Posidonia meadows, many caves and tunnels, and fish such as dusky grouper, barracuda and amberjack. Spearfishing is banned throughout the reserve. Source: Wikipedia, AMP Ustica, Visit Sicily