Secca Ettore
- Trail Conditions: Diving
The site
In the south-east of Mal di Ventre Island, some granite reliefs rise and continue under the water the vein forming the island. The shoal has been named after the person who discovered it, and consists of a granite relief rising from the depth of 35m up to 20m of depth with deep fissures, collapsed blocks, and boulders joining with the detritus and the Posidonia grassland covering the bottom. It is a site often interested by strong currents.
Main features
The rocks are covered with brown seaweeds forming an irregular blanket interrupted – in the less illuminated areas – by encrusting sponges, bryozoans, and sciophilous green seaweeds. On the relief it is possible to observe several specimens of Spongia lamella, a protected species: it is a sponge of commercial interest whose collection is regulated. In the deepest rocky areas and at the foot of the walls it is possible to observe the biocenosis of the coralligenous, characterized by Corallinaceae red seaweeds with very bright colors competing with the colors of the encrusting sponges and the bryozoans. Among the rocks, groupers, brown meagers, and green wrasses swim, while shoals of common two-banded seabream, black seabreams, and sometimes, thick shoals of barracudas can also be sighted.
