Secca di Colombara
Ustica Island · Italy
Secca di Colombara is a submerged volcanic plateau on Ustica's southern flank, its summit at 12 m and flanks descending to 60 m past overhangs smothered in yellow encrusting sponge and purple sea fans. Open-water views from the plateau edge are among the clearest in the Tyrrhenian Sea, and the site reliably produces sightings of barracuda, amberjack, and the occasional sunfish drifting past in summer.
Conditions
Depth
12 to 60 m
Advanced depths
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
25 to 40 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
14 to 28°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 15 |
| Vis (m) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 20 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Dusky Grouper
Last confirmed Jul 14, 2025 · 21 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Purple Sea Star
Last confirmed Jul 14, 2025 · 16 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
European barracuda
Last confirmed Jul 11, 2025 · 9 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Ornate Wrasse
Last confirmed Jul 14, 2025 · 9 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Common Two-Banded Seabream
Last confirmed Jul 11, 2025 · 9 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Loggerhead sea turtle
Last confirmed Aug 2, 2025 · 1 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Yellow encrusting sponge
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Ocean sunfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear