Secca della Colombara

Also known as: Secca di Colombara

The shoal is the remnant of one of the volcanic cones that built Ustica, rising from deep water to a cap only a few metres down. One side shows columnar basalt and a vertical wall coated in orange cup coral, sponges and yellow gorgonians, while another side opens into a broad plateau. In 2005 a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship carrying marble blocks struck the shoal and broke in two, and the bow and stern now rest on opposite sides at around 24 to 26 m. Dive centres describe it as a meeting point for big fish, with circling schools of barracuda, large amberjacks, dentex and crowds of dusky and goldblotch groupers. Deeper down there are red gorgonians, a rare large tube sponge and branches of gold coral (Savalia savaglia), and several dives are needed to see all of it.