MEDITERRANEAN
Tavolara · Secca del Papa
- Italy
- Experienced
- May - October
Plan your dive
- Experience level
- Experienced
- Depth guide
- Papa 1 rises from about 33 m to 15 m; Papa 2 is deeper
- When to go
- May - October
- Site type
- Offshore Pinnacles
Featured wildlife
- Dusky grouper
About this dive site
Gorgonian-covered pinnacles and groupers off northeastern Sardinia.
Secca del Papa sits offshore from Tavolara inside its marine protected area. Granite pinnacles carry gorgonians and shelter groupers, while schooling fish move above the reef. Papa 1 and Papa 2 are different profiles, and deeper technical itineraries should not be confused with a recreational visit. Use an authorised operator to confirm access, moorings and a depth plan matched to your qualification. Keep buoyancy clear of the sea fans and enjoy the fish without feeding or crowding them.
Shore sites reward repeat dives at the same entry marker; check swell, surf and exit points before you kit up. Calendar peak is May - October, but skippers still move sites when wind, swell or current change. Book with a crew that knows Tavolara day to day, not just the map pin.