Archeosub di Capo Graziano

The fascinating archeological dive takes place at a some hundreds meters from the tip of Capo Graziano near the port. The dive begins at Secca di Capo Graziano (a reef), a great importance site because of its underwater archeology made up by the several shipwrecks occurred in ancient and modern ages. Secca di Capo Graziano is a rocky monolith rising from the depth, up to an height of only three meters in a series of acuminated jags. The dive begins fram the hat of the reef and the path develops following a rope leading to the top, allowed depth of thirty meters. On the way down you can look at what is left of old wreckages, scattered crocks of anphora and anchors.

When you reach the sandy floor, at a depth of thirty meters you can look at what remains of the anphora belonging to the A – Roghi's shipload and then starting the way back up and observing other remains and very interesting handmades from the past.

It must be said that for those who are interested in going into the events occurred in ancient times in Filicudi, a branch of the Eolian Archeological Museum of Lipari is effective in Filicudi. Here, there are other several underwater findings occurred around Secca di Capo Graziano.

Beside the cultural/historic interest, Secca di Capo Graziano deserves a visit even for a high naturalistic value. Because diving and fishing have been forbidden for dozens years, the underwater habitat is rich and luxuriant. The current prohibtions turned it into a sort of area under the stricter protection and control. It is an unmissable experience! The diving is currently allowed only if it is guided and organized by an authorised diving center and the divers who want to join must have obtained a certificate to dive at a depth of thirty meters.

Secca dei Sei metri

The hat is not so extended and its sides are so upright that the top pf the turret mast seems a little emerald spot in a neverending turquoise expanse. Once the dive begins it is fascinating sinking next to the upright wall that ends only when it reaches the floor of the reef. It conveys a lovely feeling. It really feels like flying.

The floor around this reef is made up of several stones where you can discover morays and crayfishes. A bit further there are isoleted rocks that should be explored for they are actually more interesting under an environmental point of view.

On these rocks in fact there are beautiful red gorgonias, some spirographs, obviously echinus melos and bright yellow Axinella sponges. On the way back you can explore the beautiful crevices of the reef where it is not unusual to find even more than one moray into the same den, surely some groupers and big rockfishes. Obviosly, besides all that you can find at La secca dei Sei metri, it is also the ideal habitat of Galathee and Stenopus.

You should take into account also the meeting with some sparkling cowry. As it is the case this reef has a strong attraction for big fishes like leerfishes and greater amberjacks often diving open-mouthed among flocks of small preys frenetically swimming next to the walls.

Grotta dei Gamberi

Near Capo Graziano. This diving site is a little but lovely bight coastwise, only some meters away from the sign of prohibition. The dive path begins swimming towards the open sea, leaving the coast and a stony shoal with its posidonias behind. When you are at a depth of about fifteen meters, the brink takes the place of the tableland sinking upright down for twenty meters to the sandy floor.

The cave is full of living beings and you can easily find pieces of fishing line on which colonies of clavelina have settled making the lines look like christmas festoons. As the wall suddenly turns right, you have to follow it because it leads directly to the final aim of the dive that is the cave La Grotta dei Gamberi.

The hall of the cave is at a depth of 33 to 39 meters. The cave looks like an inverted "V" and it pierces into the coast for some dozen meters following a dark, tortuous and very demanding path. In order to appreciate the beauty of this cave, you needn't going too much in. In fact it is sufficient get where the lightning becomes semidarkness for it is the most full of life tract. The amount of crayfishes living there is really extraordinary.