Page 124 - PROTAGONIST 121

Page 120, a view of Portofino from Rapallo (© Vladimir Ovsânnikov / EyeEm / Getty Images). Page 123, a few details of the Ligurian seabed
Page 121, the fauna of the Ligurian seabed with a moray eel at Bonassola. at Bonassola, Monterosso, and Portofino.

Cliffs plunging down into the sea, the seabed and the environmental mer- roughly 13 meters (43 feet), you come to
secret coves that can only be reached its of the various sites. These dives offer the “summit” of an underwater moun-
by boat, crystal-clear water with those various levels of difficulty: expert scuba tain that forms the rock. It is covered in
dazzling shades of turquoise, and, of divers can engage in the more difficult seaweed, which attracts small benthic
course, the famous fishing village. The passages and depths that can reach 40- fish and groupers, as well as schools
promontory of Portofino is absolutely 50 meters, while beginners can enjoy of damselfish, sea bream, and salema
one of the most charming and fascinat- dives that are only a few meters deep, porgies. The dive is limited to experts
ing places in Italy, and the haunt of Ital- and snorkelers can experience the due to the fairly strong currents and the
ian and international celebrities from beauty of the sea from the surface. For great depth (below 40 meters under the
the worlds of finance, sport, politics, one and all, there is a magnificent kalei- sea level), but the show is guaranteed;
and showbiz. doscope of colors and emotions. that is partly because, a short distance
But if the surface can offer so many There truly is a lot to see, thanks to from the rock walls, divers can observe
emotions, so can the underwater scene. the crevices and crannies, which offer the large pelagic fish that occasionally
The submerged world of brightly color- refuge to fish and mollusks, and the ship- approach the coast.
ed marine flora and fauna is nurtured wrecks nestled on the seabed, which Instead, a dive that’s suitable for
by the highly irregular shape of the have become “home” to many animal everyone is to the Christ of the Abyss.
coastline, developing into variegated and plant species: red and yellow sea It is a 2.5-meter-tall (8 feet) bronze stat-
micro-environments that have become fans, lots of coral, parazoanthus axinel- ue that was made by the sculptor Guido
the ideal habitat of many animal and lae, sponges, stony coral, prairies of sea- Galletti and placed 17 meters (55 feet)
plant species. grass, fan worms, cerianthus, and sea deep on the seabed of the bay of San
The deep seabed around the prom- anemones. Plus lobsters, conger and Fruttuoso on August 29, 1954. It was
ontory separating Paradise Gulf from moray eels, large groupers, barracudas, commissioned by Duilio Marcante (the
the Gulf of Tigullio is protected by the dentex, schools of sea bream, salema father of Italian scuba diving) in memory
Portofino Marine Reserve (portofino- porgies and damselfish, gilt-head bream, of a scuba diver friend of his, Dario Gon-
amp.it), which extends from Camogli to European bass, scorpionfish, ocean sun- zatti, who died at sea. From here, a few
Santa Margherita Ligure. It is a true un- fish, greater amberjacks, tuna, anglers. flicks of the flippers take you to a rock
derwater paradise, with over twenty dive And there’s the ever-present dolphins, wall populated by sea bream, octopus,
sites, some of which are considered to which, according to Pliny the Elder, gave dentex, and groupers.
be among the most beautiful in the Med- Portofino its name (the Romans called Always in the bay of San Fruttuoso,
iterranean Sea. So, it would be a true it Portus Delphini because of the many Punta della Torretta is a slightly more
shame not to go for a dive! dolphins that lived in the Gulf of Tigullio). technical dive, but it is truly beautiful. The
dive, which got its name from an ancient
CORAL, SHIPWRECKS, AND MULTI- FROM ISUELA ROCK TO THE CHRIST lookout tower perched on the edge of the
COLORED FISH OF THE ABYSS: AN UNDERWATER cliff, is characterized by its wealth of red
“The limestone cliffs, which plunge TREASURE TROVE OF DIVE SITES coral. As you descend all the way down
over fifty meters below sea level, foster WAITING TO BE DISCOVERED to roughly 40 meters (130 feet), the cran-
the growth of some of the largest colo- A whirlwind of colors and shapes to nies in the rock wall offer glimpses of lob-
nies of red coral in the Mediterranean. enjoy with every single dive. One of the sters and moray eels, as well as conger
Twenty-one years ago, the marine re- top dive sites is Isuela Rock, one of the eels, catsharks, barracudas, groupers,
serve was created, resulting in the pro- most beautiful dive sites in the Medi- dentex, and majestic sea fans sinuously
liferation of so many fish that, without terranean Sea. It lies just off the rocky waving in the current.
exaggeration, it’s almost like being in spur of Punta Chiappa and it offers a Other splendid dives take you to
the tropics. There are some truly unfor- cross-section of the fauna that can be Portofino’s Punta del Faro and to Altare,
gettable dives,” says Andrea Galliadi of found in the Ligurian sea. Its sheer cliffs as well as to the Dragon, the Grotto of
Diving Evolution (divingevolution.com), are covered in sea fans, stony coral, Colombara, and Secca Carega. Or to the
the eco-diving organization that is also extended formations of red coral, and shipwreck of the Mohawk Deer (which
active in environmental education and false black coral, all of which also grow sank in 1967 near San Fruttuoso) and to
protection, and an excellent contact for on its “little sister,” a short distance from the Genova (the steamship that sank in
dives around the promontory. the main rock. The dive takes you down 1917 in the bay of Paraggi), all of which
The marine reserve is divided into below 40 meters (130 feet) among bar- make this marine treasure trove that
three zones, based on the diversity of racudas, moray eels and dentex. At much more magical and precious.

122 Discovery Protagonist