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Archetto (Little Arch)
depth: -5 to -35 mt
difficulty: very easy to advanced
currents: none usually but not recommended with Scirocco
type: a calcareous wall that slowly drops to -35 mt
Last Park buoy before entering the protected Spalmatore bay of Tavolara where the old residence of the king of Tavolara reigned for a few years until annexation of the island within Italian territories (but there are still doubts on how official this kingdom was!). The name comes from a large arch that came down from the wall into the sea forming a beautiful and bright sea bottom at about -10mt. This can be one of the easiest dives in the PARK. Within shallow depths the scenery is bright and framed by large and healthy Posidonia beds. Lots of scenic rock formations filled with life and if you like to swim a bit you can even reach an interesting cave that you enter at about -5m. Large teams of sea breams standing still in mid water and the maze of rocks and little canyons form a characteristic choreography for the variety of organisms that so typically attach to the soft calcareous rocks of Tavolara. For the more advanced divers there is an opportunity to go deeper where the sand starts: here after seeing a few large octopus houses there are some beautiful type of sea fan, the “Eunicella Singularis”, that grow in a moon like landscape.

 

 

 

 

Cala Cicale (Slipper Lobster Bay)
depth: -5 to -35 mt
difficulty: easy to intermediate
currents: none usually but not recommended with Scirocco
type: a calcareous wall that drops in steps to -35 mt
From the foot of the submerged cliff reaching about the 10 meters of depth, several collapsed boulders – some of which really huge – are scattered throughout a plateau slightly sloping down. The route develops between the plateau and the upper edge of the grassland of Posidonia, at 20 meter of depth. The name of the site derives from the widespread presence of Mediterranean slipper lobster (Scyllarides latus, in Italian "cicala") from late spring to early summer. A protected species, the Mediterranean slipper lobster comes from deep environments to reproduce itself and finds the richness of the ravines its ideal conditions. Created by collapsed boulders and by the natural fragmentation of the rocks, ravines and cavities house pre-coralline environments, while the upper parts of the rocks are covered with photophylic seaweeds. It is possible to carry out several routes along which you will have the possibility to appreciate the abundance of fish with shoals of common two-banded sea breams and white sea breams, brown meagres, and black sea breams. On the boulders next to the cliff, big gray mullets carry out quick explorations, while offshore it is possible to meet groups of barracudas you can easily approach. At certain hours of the day, as described in the Park regulations, private diving is allowed.
Grottone (Large Cave)
depth: -5 to -35 mt
difficulty: easy to advanced
currents: none usually but not recommended with Scirocco
type: a calcareous wall that drops in steps to -35 mt
In the middle of the south-eastern side cliff of Tavolara, at a a depth of about -12 metres, the vault of the Grottone (“the big cave”) opens up. Located at the edge of A and B zones, it is a spectacular dive site, unique in this area because of large variety of species and the beauty of the seascape. Inside this cave there are as many as three different dives: the first is a naturalistic one during which we observe the sponge colonies and coelenterates that live in the vault; the second one takes us down to a depth of about -24 metres where we explore the fissures in the rocks for eels and crustaceans. Last, but not least, we can dive inside an opening at a depth of -35 metres and “photo-hunt” large brown groupers that live there. Here can also be found one of the largest Axinella Polipoides in the area, a beautiful orange sponge. Accessible only to authorized dive centres. A torch is recommended.
Occhio di Dio (God's Eye)
depth: -10 to -35 mt
difficulty: intermediate
currents: none usually but not recommended with Scirocco
type: a calcareous wall that drops in steps to -35 mt
About 100m from Tedja Liscia we meet with another special dive site easily identified on the surface by a rock that sits in a triangular shaped cave in the wall resembling an “eye” which gives it its name. Here the wall is steeper making the avarage depth not recommended for first level divers. It is one of the most spectacular dives if you are looking for the variety of colors and “benthos” that grow on the softer calcareous rocks. Lots of yellow Parazoanthous, Sea Fans, Horseshoe and Spoon Worms (Bonellia Viridis), Date Mussles (Lithophaga lithopaga a rare and protected bivalve). We also encounter small lobsters, scorpion fish,eels, brown meagres, and some shy groupers (sometimes very big!). A nice small cave in the wall shows some beautiful Cerianthus. A torch is recommended. Accessible only to authorized dive centres.
Tedja Liscia (Flat Rock)
depth: -5 to -35 mt
difficulty: easy to intermediate
currents: none usually but not recommended with Scirocco
type: a calcareous wall that drops in steps to -35 mt
Situated in a central area of the south-eastern cliff of Tavolara, the site is served by two buoys. Located in the B zone, it is very extended and offers the possibility to carry out several routes. Diving here is allowed only with the authorized dive centres. This dive is suitable for all levels: the calcareous cliff vertically falls from the surface to -8/10m of depth; then the detritus seabed gently degrades, interrupted by big boulders forming fissures and densely populated by brown meagres (Sciaena Umbra) and some big groupers. Where the seabed is less steep, there are some spots of Posidonia beds which make it even more interesting from the naturalistic point of view. The presence of large white breams and several groupers also at low depths, associated to a seabed very rich in species, demonstrate that environmental safeguard is leading here to great results. The central part is characterized by a plateau with scattered boulders and a fall leading from about -12m to -20m and more, on which there are a series of big boulders forming ravines and channels. Several protected species are scattered along the routes, like the sponge Axinella polypoides, the bivalve Pinna nobilis. The site is rich in resident fish species like white sea breams, gilt-headed breams, and groupers; however, it is often populated also by greater amber jacks, dentex/groupers, and barracudas.