Wreck
down to 50 m
Secca della Colombara
Shoal rising to 2.5 m a mile off Ustica's north coast, with a 2005 wreck and its marble-block cargo, swirling barracuda and schools of amberjack.
- Advanced
- Dentex
Advanced≤30 m
Scoglio del Medico
Dive site in Ustica, Italy
Rock at the edge of Ustica's integral reserve, cut by tunnels, caves and canyons, with groupers, barracuda, tuna and large amberjacks.
- Max depth
- 40 m
- Level
- Advanced
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Entry
- By boat
The story
Scoglio del Medico is a rock about 500 m off Ustica's coast that breaks the surface at the edge of the integral (zone A) marine reserve, Italy's first marine protected area, created in 1986.
Source: usticadiving.it
The dive
A reef and wall dive from a boat. Known for eagle rays, mobula rays and tuna.
Who it's for
Advanced≤30 mSource: usticadiving.it
Recommended minimum: Advanced (PADI Advanced Open Water, N2).
- DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
- OverheadPart of the dive is under a ceiling, without a direct way up.
- The site goes deeper than 30 m: Advanced divers stay above 30 m.
Conditions
- Dive type
- Reef, Wall, Cavern, Rock formations
- Environment
- Cavern (daylight visible)
- Water
- Sea water
What you might see
- Eagle rays
- Mobula rays
- Tuna
- Amberjacks
- Barracuda
- Groupers
Season in Ustica
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Best months: May–Oct.
Source: scubapro.johnsonoutdoors.comWhere is Ustica?
The point shows the Ustica area, not the exact dive site.
More dives in Ustica
Pinnacle
down to 60 m
Secchitello
Current-swept pinnacles from 25 m with vast red gorgonian colonies, false black coral (Savalia savaglia) and huge schools of barracuda and amberjacks.
- Experienced
- Amberjacks
Wall
down to 18 m
Cala Giacone
Easy 18 m dive around a large boulder with crevices and passages, over fine white sand and back across a posidonia meadow.
- Open Water
Wall
down to 40 m
Punta dell'Arpa
Boulder slope and wall down to sand at 40 m, its rocks at about 35 m literally covered in red gorgonians.
- Experienced
Wall
down to 55 m
Punta Galera
Wall used by the local centre for try dives and courses, with schools of banded and sharpsnout seabream and parrotfish among the shallow rocks.
- Advanced
- Amberjacks
down to 24 m
Hidden gem
Punta Gavazzi underwater archaeological trail
Underwater trail off Punta Gavazzi, 10-24 m, past Roman and Byzantine artefacts and ancient anchors; snorkellers see the shallower finds.
- Advanced
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.