Scoglio del Medico

Conosciuto anche come: Il Medico

Local dive centres call this volcanic rock the showpiece of Ustica and say it takes several days of diving to see all of its routes. A wide tunnel at about 20 m runs through the rock for roughly 70 m, lit by side openings and lined with sponges, orange cup coral and false coral; on its south side the large mouth of the Grotta della Balena is said to resemble a whale's mouth. Narrow canyons cut into a platform up to about 30 m deep and are swum in single file. The west side is known for dusky, goldblotch and mottled groupers that hover in open water, together with barracuda, amberjacks, tuna and schools of sea bream. Divers of all levels can find a route here, from shallow walls near the rock to deeper canyons.