Giglio, Tuscany, Italy

Secca della Croce

Secca della Croce is one of the classic dives of Giglio Island, the granite-built island in the Tuscan Archipelago National Park. The seamount lies off the western coast of Giglio and rises from a deep base to a top around 18 metres, dropping to about 40 metres on a granite and sandy base. The granite walls and boulders below 25 metres support dense red gorgonian (Paramuricea clavata) forests in shades of red, pink and white, alongside yellow Eunicella cavolini fans on the shallower sections, orange Astroides calycularis on shaded faces, yellow Parazoanthus axinellae and a rich sponge community. Resident species include dusky groupers, brown meagre, conger eels, octopus, moray eels and scorpionfish; barracuda and amberjack schools cross the open water in summer. The granite topography is unusual for the archipelago and makes Giglio one of the most distinctive Italian islands for diving. Visibility regularly exceeds 25 metres in summer; currents are moderate.