{"id":354,"date":"2016-01-15T11:06:47","date_gmt":"2016-01-15T10:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scubashooters.net\/underwater-life\/?p=354"},"modified":"2016-12-05T13:54:48","modified_gmt":"2016-12-05T12:54:48","slug":"the-sorrento-coast","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scubashooters.net\/underwater-life\/the-sorrento-coast\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sorrento Coast"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DivingThe Sorrento Coast, already discovered by Ulysses in his pilgrimage through the waters of the Mediterranean, is for its historical and natural aspects, one of the most beautiful coastlines of Italy, offering scenarios so fascinating that even Homer sang it in his Odyssey<\/strong>.
\nIn fact, the legend tells that just a short distance from this coast, the sirens tempting voices tried to enchant Ulysses, who resisted their sweet call by tying himself to the mainmast of the ship.
\nIndeed, even without the singing of these creatures, the coastline of Sorrento can bewitch with its natural beauty everyone who comes.
\nThe approximately 40 kilometers of beautiful coasts forming the Sorrento Peninsula, are a sweet succession of green promontories and welcoming inlets, whose the Ieranto Bay is one of the most famous.
\nThis bay, that opens onto the southern coast of the Sorrento Peninsula, just across the Capri’s sea stacks, is a place of untouched beauty, donated to the FAI (Italian Environmental Fund) in 1986, to be kept and preserved in its total integrity. The calcareous nature of the area also favors the presence of numerous caves, crevices and cavities<\/strong>.
\nMoreover, in this beautiful scenery there are even the shoals rising offshore, where the constant presence of small bluefish favors the passage of pelagic species such as tuna and amberjacks.
\nA seabed therefore suitable for any underwater interest either photographic, naturalistic, or even caving.
\nThese are just some of the aspects that the depths of the entire Sorrento Peninsula offer to divers in their rich itineraries of over 25 spots, perfect for diving<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"The
\nLet us briefly remember the most significant:
\nPUNTA CAMPANELLA<\/span><\/strong>
\nThe bottom falls steeply on the side facing the Gulf of Naples, while slopes more gently towards the Gulf of Salerno.
\nDue to the currents that often hit the promontory, an amazing variety of wildlife develops here, filling with color every smallest space of the cliff.
\nNear the cape, a big rock off the coast provides, even at little depth, spectacular walls covered with colonies of Astroides, but if we go down to the bathymetry of 40 meters, we find the seabed entirely wrapped by big fans of Paramuricea.
\nSCOGLIO PENNA<\/span><\/strong> closes southward the Ieranto Bay.
\nHere we can explore steep walls opened by suggestive passages.
\nOnce over the depth of 30 meters, ample walls wrapped in red Paramuricea appears, offering interesting angles for photographic images.
\nMany sedentary fishes frequent this seabed, which also represents an important area for the passage of schools of yellowtail and other species of pelagic fish.
\nWho is rather fond of caves should not miss the opportunity to dive the ISCA CAVE<\/span> (Grotta dell\u2019Isca)<\/span><\/strong>, which opens with a vertical entrance only 8 meters from the bottom. The vault and the walls of the cavity immediately appear covered by Parazoanthus and sponges of all colors, while the sun\u2019s rays that penetrate inside the cave create evocative lighting effects.
\n\"GrottaAnother cave is the one of the Sapphire –\u00a0GROTTA DELLO ZAFFIRO<\/span><\/strong>, which opens only 3 meters deep with a wide main entrance, and a second tighter opening at about 12 meters. Inside, you can reach a large air chamber surrounded by several limestone formations, which give additional beauty and mystery to the cave.
\neasily recognizable by the remains of an ancient, dominating Saracen tower. The cliffs plunging into the blue are rich in a very live coral substratum, where the different shades of sponges, anemones, spirographs and many other animals stand out.
\nHere the Paramuricea, encountered starting from thirty meters deep, acquire unique and spectacular colors, ranging from deep red to yellow.
\nThanks to the clearness of the water and the brightness of the underwater surrounding, the wall, which drops until over 50 meters, it is very spectacular even at considerable depths.
\nAt around 40 meters depth there is a large branch of Savalia savaglia, the false black coral.
\nIn the middle between the islet of Vetara and that of the Gaul’s, we can dive on a shoal with the top only 6 meters deep, known by divers as the Shoal of the Gaul’s – SECCA DEI GALLI<\/span><\/strong>.
\nThe seabed, with a series of rocky crags, drops deep down and shape a suitable environment for the development of beautiful sea fans, where often some big lobster antennas show up.
\n\"MadonnaSCOGLIO DEL VERVECE<\/span> (Vervece Rock)<\/span><\/strong>
\nThe Vervece Rock is part of “A” Zone of the Marine Reserve.
\nAt 12 meters depth, on a rocky plateau facing the marina and sloping gently down to the bottom, there is a statue of the Madonna of Vervece.
\nA bronze statue placed here in memory of persons missing at sea and, today, the subject of an important popular event that renews since almost 30 years. A wide vertical wall completely covered with the yellow Parazoanthus characterizes the outer side of the islet while the luxuriance of sea fans typify the two opposite sides. The red sea fans, on the eastern side, start from around 28 meters depth and continue up to 50, while the presence of yellow sea fans characterizes the diametrically opposite cape. Thanks to the rocky bottom morphology, the presence of the yellow sea fans forms a real underwater canyon, later baptized by divers the “Gorgonians Avenue”<\/p>\n

ISLAND OF CAPRI<\/h3>\n

PUNTA CARENA (Hull cape)<\/span><\/strong>
\nProbably the most beautiful and spectacular dive that can be done in the depths of the island but at the same time, due to the strong currents often present and the uninterrupted coming and going of local vessels used for the island tour, reserved exclusively for experienced divers. As the name suggests, the morphology of this dive remembers exactly the capsized hull of a ship.
\nIt is in fact a rocky ridge jutting out for several hundred meters towards the open sea, immediately reaching prohibitive depths.
\nThanks to the dominant currents, the wall of the southern slope explodes suddenly in all its colors and shapes. The sea fans, both yellow and red, reign supreme. Dense shoals of Anthias swim alongside the rock face forming real living walls.
\nThe wall is becoming more beautiful and rich as we move away from the mainland\u00a0along the ridge, until we come to the splits: two vertical cracks covered with sea fans on both sides and enormous sponges in the middle.
\nThe meeting with pelagic fish is nearly always a certainty.
\nWe are already far away from the cape and could be better to return on top of the ridge and go back toward the coast, to emerge inside the bay under the Lighthouse.
\nIL TRALICCIO (The Trellis)<\/span><\/strong>
\nDiving at the Trellis is exclusively reserved to technical divers<\/strong>.
\nIn fact, the wall rich of corals and gorgonians falls abruptly towards great and challenging depths.
\nAt the base of the wall, already over 50 meters depth, lying on the sand, a large trellis juts out into the open sea reaching the depth of 62 meters.
\nCovered with sponges, tunicates, red and bicolor sea fans, the Trellis is always surrounded by thousands of Anthias. Accomplice the water transparency, the show is truly breathtaking.
\nThe return takes place strictly along the wall to perform the necessary decompression stops within a single small coastline inlet, where the floor degrades less vertiginously.
\nThe BANCO DI SANTA CROCE (Holy Cross Shoal)<\/span><\/strong>, for which it is advisable to base in Castellammare di Stabia, deserves a separate mention.
\nFrom a depth of about fifty meters, in fact, a series of spectacular pinnacles rise to the surface.
\nThey seem to have the characteristic of being all-different from each other and accommodate various biocenosis, different for each wall portion.
\nThe minimum depth of the pinnacles are in the range of 15 meters, making possible for everyone to enjoy these beautiful seabeds.
\nBeautiful the morphology of the pinnacles, that rise from the bottom and that together form a series of canyons, rifts and saddles where the fish gathers. Lovely the forms of life populating the rocks. Along one side, you can see a large amount of fluorescent cerianthus.
\nAlong another, a few meters from the surface, a colony of Parazoanthus covers dozens of square meters of rock, but leaving the possibility for sea fans, sponges and bryozoans to grow and stand out from that soft, bright colored rug.
\nDeep down the red gorgonians rule, sometimes spaced out by the bright yellow of some branches of Savalia savaglia of remarkable size.
\nHowever, it is the amount and variety of fish, thanks to the ban on fishing, to make this dive extraordinary: sea breams, snappers, scorpion fishes, groupers welcome the divers since the early meters. In the summer, the sardines come and, with their synchronized movements, make this dive even more amazing.
\nMoreover, with a little luck, eagle rays twirl among these schools.<\/p>\n

\"WonderfulUSEFUL INFORMATION<\/h3>\n

How to get there<\/strong>
\nComing from Rome, follow the Roma-Napoli highway, then the slip road to Naples-Salerno.
\nTake the highway towards Salerno, exit at Castellammare di Stabia and then continue to Sorrento.
\nOnce in Sorrento, go to Massa Lubrense and then towards Marina Del Cantone.
\nWhere to stay<\/strong>
\nVillaggio Diving Nettuno at Massa Lubrense, Marina del Cantone
\nHotel Montil at Castellammare di Stabia
\nSuggested Dive Centers<\/span><\/strong>
\nDiving Nettuno:<\/em>
\nTel. +39-081-8081051
\ninfo@villaggionettuno.it
\nMr. Michele Mauro
\nBikini Diving:<\/em>
\nTel. +39-338-9449567
\ninfo@bikinidiving.com
\nMr. Pasquale Manzi<\/p>\n

WORDS and PICTURES by\u00a0Sergio Riccardo<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Marine<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Sorrento Coast, already discovered by Ulysses in his pilgrimage through the waters of the Mediterranean, is for its historical and natural aspects, one of the most beautiful coastlines of Italy, offering scenarios so fascinating that even Homer sang it in his Odyssey. In fact, the legend tells that just\u2026 Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,8],"tags":[43,16,29,36,9],"yoast_head":"\nDiving in Mediterranean Sea - Sorrento coast | Scubashooters.net<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Sorrento Coast is for its historical and natural aspects, one of the most beautiful coastlines of Italy with over 25 spots, perfect for diving.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scubashooters.net\/underwater-life\/the-sorrento-coast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Diving in Mediterranean Sea - Sorrento coast | Scubashooters.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Sorrento Coast is for its historical and natural aspects, one of the most beautiful coastlines of Italy with over 25 spots, perfect for diving.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scubashooters.net\/underwater-life\/the-sorrento-coast\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Scubashooters.net\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Scubashooters\/?fref=ts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-01-15T10:06:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-12-05T12:54:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scubashooters.net\/underwater-life\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/sorrento-1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"687\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@scubashooters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@scubashooters\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"8 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scubashooters.net\/underwater-life\/the-sorrento-coast\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scubashooters.net\/underwater-life\/the-sorrento-coast\/\",\"name\":\"Diving in Mediterranean Sea - 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