Pontine Islands

 

There have been virtually no divers. It can be argued that the Tyrrhenian Sea cannot compare to the Red Sea. That may well be the case, but I would like anyone to point out to me any Red Sea island that you can swim across at the sea level, as it is possible with Palmarola. This bird reserve is uninhabited, as the high cliffs surrounding the island managed to protect it against the greedy human nature. The Pontine Islands can be reached from many Italian ports, including Anzio, Terracina and Formia. The archipelago is best accessible from Naples, which is also convenient for visiting Pompeii or admiring the grim figure of Vesuvius that overlooks the city. I could never imagine just how much effort was put into excavating such a grand city from the cover of volcanic ash. Thankfully, this superhuman effort has paid off and Pompeii continues to impress tourists, me included; actually, my fascination could only be bigger if the city was located underwater.

However, this account is not dedicated to land, but underwater attractions. Anyone interested in visiting the islands should try the sites described below, which offer great places of interest for many "scuba tourists". The Pontine Islands are composed of Palmarola, Zannone, Ventotene, small Santo Stefano island and Ponza, the biggest island that lends its name to the archipelago. The islands are surrounded by numerous independent rock formations called "Formiche". These are not islands per se, but to a diver they may prove more interesting... I am still unsure whether that was the case.

The Naples area also includes the well-known and popular Capri island, which is not, however, a Pontine island. Across the bay, two more islands, Ischia and Procida, are situated further away from the main land. Neither of them is included among the Pontine islands, despite their location on the route from the Bay of Naples to Ponza. 

My cruise on the thirty meter long Elektra yacht started on the island closest to Naples, i.e. Isola di Procida. The short passage from the port of Torre Annunziata near Naples only increased my great impatience to finally dive under the water, despite its lower clarity in the bay area. Unfortunately, the Bay of Naples is heavily polluted with all sorts of municipal waste. The water clarity is dismal and the odor does not seem right for holidays in sunny Italy. Some time ago, dolphins were often spotted in the bay. However, those times are long past; still, we did manage to see some dolphins during our expedition.

 

As we left the port late in the afternoon, by the time we arrived on the island it was practically evening. We had our first dive at Calla Brandi site. That shallow night dive was not the best experience of my scuba career, but it still offered the opportunity to catch the sight of octopuses feeding on dead fish. Local fishermen might know about the abundance of octopuses at the spot and from time to time place their baits on the sea bottom. That must have been the case, as the site was full of basket traps that looked similar to the Polish "¿ak" network trap. Seduced by the smell of a dead fish or crab, the octopus enters the trap that it cannot escape. Up to the level of ten meters, we swam surrounded by posidonia, also called Neptune grass, that may have extended deeper. On the next day, before our departure for the next island, we dived at Punta di Pizzaco. That deep dive was my first experience of diving in volcano remains. The characteristic rocks, which seemed to be composed of solidified lava, descended in steps towards the sea bed, which was very dark indeed. After the dive we decided that the bottom must be covered in volcanic ash. Below our maximum depth, the sea bed descended into unfathomable depths at the 40 degrees angle. 

We continued our expedition to the island of Ischia. We dived at P.S. Pancrazzio, which proved to be an unremarkable site. There wasn't enough underwater life, while strong surface current prevented efficient dive organization. We set off for Ponza, leaving Ventotene by the wayside. The latter island is known for frequent dolphin sightings. I was lucky enough to spot the creatures that swam in front of our yacht for some time. Each time I see dolphins I am amazed by the strength of people's emotional response to them.

On the way to Ponza we spotted a smaller island, located close to Ventotene. It was Santo Stefano with imposing ruins of an old prison. We didn't try to visit that island. But it's possible that the old prison is opened for tourists. 

Ponza on the horizon. But first we dived in close to the protruding rocks of La Formiche Ponza. We spotted characteristic black shapes of chromis fish, swimming in large numbers in the same direction. The sight reminded me of Polish carrion crows, migrating from one place to another during winter. Due to the strong current, we used up our air reserves very fast. It was a pity, as the rock formations were not only picturesque, but also offered many passages and cracks you could swim through. For the night, we dropped anchor at Scoglio Ravia. Our night dive started at midnight; it was an unforgettable experience and a successful one, giving me hope that the whole archipelago would be as rich in fish life. During our one-hour dive, not deeper than at 10 meters, I found numerous examples of massive shells called 'conchas'. This spot also featured many red sea potatoes, with morays and congers sharing small spaces. That sight only increased my fascination, as I well remembered visiting places which had been supposed to be full of congers, while in effect I managed to spot only two or three specimen. Scorpionfish and octopuses were just as numerous. 

Next day. We set off for Palmarola to see more. We intended to remain in the vicinity of Ponza. On the way we enjoyed the sight of a ship, if I remember correctly, it was a general cargo or a small tanker vessel that settled onto the underwater rocks. The bow was visibly raised, but apparently the accident didn't cause any major damage to the hull, as several days later the ship disappeared. It was hauled into deep waters by tug boats. Our next dive site was called Punta di Mezzegiorno. The wind was becoming stronger and stronger. During the dive, we hoped that we wouldn't be chased off from that picturesque spot by storm. This site has gently sloping bottom, which is overgrown with posidonia, and down at the level of approx. 23 meters only sand is visible. In that site I managed to spot rays and sea basses. I didn't organize another dive, as the island was so wonderful that the expedition participants felt like discoverers of the new world. That bird reserve had many sea level grottoes and caves that allowed you to swim across the island. A small group of us swam to visit the island. We entered one of its grottoes. It looked magnificent. Still, we decided to swim on. We were specially equipped in torches. Soon, we left the entrance to the cave a long way behind us. The cave's ceiling started to get progressively closer and closer to the surface of the water. Soon I realized that my decision to explore the grotto was not the best one, as the swaying sea caused the water level to rise so much that we were almost cut off from the air supply remaining between the cave's ceiling and the water level. In such case, a strategic withdrawal in the direction of the sea was the only sensible decision to make. Any visitor to those parts should check out the grottoes. In the evening the wind strength increased and the captain decided to moor the yacht leeward of the island. However, the bottom on that side of the island was so steep that dropping the anchor was impossible due to great sea depth. At night we were forced to make our way to the neighboring Ponza. The wind was hellish. 

On the next day we once again attacked the rocks protruding from the sea. Le Scogliette was composed of picturesque rock formations that threateningly extended above the sea level. I was surprised to learn that no ship was damaged against those rocks. The night's winds were nothing but memory, but the sea was swaying so much that you could feel the waves even at eighteen meters. Still, the site was marvelous. Abundant in fish, that spot offered frequent barracuda sightings. Several old and two new fishing nets persuaded me that the site must hold different and numerous kinds of fish.

 

 

Our second dive of the day took place near Ponza, at Cala del Care. It was a perfect spot for beginners, therefore we spotted many boats boarded by divers who tried their hands at a new hobby.

 

On the next day, the captain took us to see sinister rock formations rising from the sea and called Secca della Formiche. The rocks were not the destination for our expedition, though, as we intended to dive an underground mountain starting off at eighteen meters. However, we couldn't get the precise location of the hill, therefore we dived close to the rocks. That might have been a good decision. We had the opportunity of observing many crayfish at one spot, and the conger I managed to see at the depth of 45 meters exceeded my all expectations. I was not the only person to spot that monster, therefore I can state that it was as thick as a human thigh. A great rarity. To top it off, on our way up we managed to spot a huge colony of barracudas. We counted 300 specimens. It was a truly unforgettable site.

 

The same day we dived once more off Ponza, that time choosing a spot called Faraglioni del Calzone Mute. To put it mildly, the site doesn't deserve a second dive. There was nothing special there, as the rocks and sand were generic and inhabited by the most popular black chromis fish. However, the next day's dive easily counted amongst the best. Le Scoglio Rosso. An underwater rock descended to the depth of 38 meters, where it opened into a massive grotto. After entering the grotto it turned out that you could swim across the rock. From the level of 25 meters we were surrounded by a magnificent grove of yellow gorgonias. Two nets were set vertically along the rock, trying to catch the magnitudes of fish. They descended from 5 to approx. 35 meters. On the same day we could observe another underwater grotto called Grotto della Maga. It wasn't the main attraction of the dive, anyway, therefore, as far as I remember, no one actually visited the cave. Still, we managed to see the wreck of a landing craft which was damaged against the rocky tip during the Second World War, while transporting POWs. As we swam along the tip in the direction of the sea, we could first spot some metal parts of the wreck, and then observe the vessel itself, sliced in two. The craft was divided into two parts. Its bow rested at 26 meters, while the deck settled at 18 meters. The most interesting part of the wreck were two cannons on the bow, which remained in good repair. The huge numbers of divers exploring that spot managed to efficiently "polish off" the cannons. The stern part rested in a different area. However, we had no air left in the tanks to look for the stern. Local diving guidebooks describe the site as difficult due to the often present, strong surface current, and they are right.

 

Don't forget about Secca del Mattoni. The site was far from magnificent, but the sea bottom in that place yielded many different types of shells. There has never been a diver that would not take one as a memento. Provided it is allowed, of course. In that spot it was, so we took as much as we could. Still, on planning the dive you cannot allow yourself to forget about the strong surface currents of that place and refrain from picking up shells with hermit crabs inside. After visiting Ponza, we shallow dived Grottone di Cape Bianco. There were many volcanic rocks that spewed gases and offered memorable experiences. We also spotted moray fish and rather large sea basses. Caution! In summer, the surface is cruised by numerous speed boats. So a decompression buoy constitutes necessary equipment at ascent from the underwater walk.

 

It was time to return home. On the way we stayed for two days off Ischia. However, I was very disappointed after our first dive there. The Punta Carruso site has been described in guidebooks as an excellent diving spot. It may well be excellent, but the water clarity of about 10 meters made me realize just how close to the Bay of Naples we were and that each subsequent dive would be worse than our experiences from the far-away Ponza. Still, …on the next day I was in a state of shock. The sea current brought excellent water clarity, while Capo di S. Angelo offered the best diving site we visited during our entire cruise. The rock towering over the sea and measuring up to a ten-storey apartment building, while connected with the land and offering a magnificent view, was nothing to write home about. Other vertical rocks descended to the depth of 200 meters. It was a great place for planning depth diving, therefore some expeditioners descended to sixty meters. I regret now that we didn't have at least 2-3 dives at that spot. The yellow gorgonia level started at 20 meters, while the water clarity was phenomenal for that part of the world. From thirty meters on, the underwater world was covered with red gorgonias. The numerous sea potatoes, crayfish, moray fish or copious amounts of sponges in different colors could amaze any diver. There were also many basket traps for octopuses and kilometers of old, tattered fishing nets. The next dive off Ischia at Capo Grosso was a mistake. However, on the next day Robert Borzymek and I discovered, by accident, very picturesque caves. Between Ischia and Procida, there is a place on the water route called La Formiche Ischia. A characteristic green buoy powered with solar panels marks the location of underwater caves. Still, it wasn't easy to find the cave entrance: only Robert and I managed that feat, and that only by accident; moreover, we didn't enter by the main opening but via a crack in the ceiling. The rocks in that spot descended as a maze to the level of 16 meters. Further on, Neptune grass reigned. We spent quite a lot of time looking for the entrance, but it was worth it. What is the necessary equipment for cave diving? Of course a reel, as large amounts of sediments settled on the bottom of a cave can decrease the water clarity to only two meters. As we got to the cave, we saw a group of divers guided by a local divemaster. They managed to disturb the cave bottom so much that we had only two ways of escape: either to follow them to the exit or to make way to the ceiling opening, which was the alternative we chose. We did so because our air supply could be insufficient to last us during further journey with unknown divers. Our last dive took place at night, at the site called Porto Ischia Ponte. It was a shallow descent only to 8 meters, but we still managed to see octopuses, cuttlefish, calamari, rays and several bristle worms. For a Mediterranean night dive, that one was only mediocre.

If anyone would ask me whether I intended to return to the islands for another dive, I would answer in the positive, without a moment's hesitation. I believe that decision would be motivated by my desire to see the unforgettable rock formations situated away from the islands and called Formiche.

 

Text and photo: Rudi Stankiewicz