HOLIDAYS

THE MED AT ITS BEST

Seek out the marine reserves around the world and divers shall be rewarded: RICHARD ASPINALL finds evidence of what time and enforcement can achieve

HE NUMBERS OF FISH have The light protects vessels passing co-owner of Nautilus Diving Centre, just “ increased, no question,” says Vinny between the larger Isola and the how things had changed for the better for Tas we watch the low October sun larger-still – and well worth exploring – the local diving community after the area rise over the , off . This is the island that was designated a National Park in the the north-east coast of Sardinia. gives its name to the smattering of craggy late 1990s. We are moored at the tiny islet of granite rocks, reefs, islets and islands that “There are more, bigger fish, more Barrettinelli, one of those rocky specks make up the archipelago. grouper and more amberjack,” he told on a map that, thanks to an accident of I had just enjoyed my last dive of the me. “We see some fish more at different geography, deserved a lighthouse. week and wanted to find out from Vinny, times of the year, more jack in autumn, but we see more since they’ve controlled fishing”. The Med has been exploited (perhaps over-exploited) for centuries, so it was good to hear that the protection afforded by the park is helping to preserve the archipelago as a fascinating dive- location. I’d seen that for myself, at a dive the Pictured: Small triplefin. guides sometimes and justifiably call Moray City. I had seen more of the eels at this one site than I had ever seen before. A jumble of huge boulders, looking as if they’d been thrown down by giants, seemed to provide a perfect home for dozens of Mediterranean morays. These are quite attractive fish, with

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lazily swam away into the gloom. We It was good to have slowly circled the rock, rising to our an enjoyable dive after safety stop. It was all a little gloomy, and a long journey and the rain was still pounding the choppy some poor weather, sea as we surfaced. and as we ate Vinny proved to be a man of his word. chocolate cake and As we left Palau and headed east past the biscuits along with Capo d’Orso the next day, the sun was hot sweet tea, lifting itself over the skyline and the I suspected that natural sculpture of the Roccio dell Orso I might enjoy myself (Bear Rock). It was still windy but not after all. troublingly so, and we would be able to Nautilus seem to dive with ease. have a good thing The site, Cala d’Orso, was great for going – a decent nudibranchs. The bright violet of white- ratio of guides to tipped and purple nudis was easy to spot, divers (a dozen or so as were the white-bodied migrating guests seemed to be aeolids, with their red- and blue-tipped the norm) was cerrata (the projections that cover many welcome, as was the nudibranchs’ bodies). guides’ willingness Damselfish were everywhere, though to help you kit up. Above : Long-snout would indicate an keeping closer to the gaps between the Again, I thought about how hard dive- seahorse. octopus, hiding within its garden. jumble of rocks were shoals of the guides work. After looking after a boatful This dive would be a little shallower, so juveniles, with the electric-blue stripes of divers on a morning, they had courses we missed the grouper, but the macro life tan-to-golden markings along their towering wall my lights picked up the Above, from left : by the arrival of a shoal of amberjack, that they would lose as they reached and try-dives in the afternoon, along was helping me out, and as we spent flanks. Not that they usually venture vivid violet of a nudibranch, a type of Cardinalfish; red-lipped recognisable by the “slash” marking adulthood. with all the other daily duties of a busy some time with a dahlia anemone forth during the day, but we did get to Flabellina , and I forgot the cold a little goby. through their eye. This marking has been dive-centre. I managed to get some shots of an animal watch one impressive specimen grabbing and tried to get some shots, glad to have turned into a hand sign – a finger making EEPER DOWN AND FURTHER The next dive saw us back at Spargi, with which I’ve always struggled – the and consuming an octopus, thrashing it a macro lens fitted to my camera. a slashing action across the eye – by the Dunder the rocky overhangs, the and how different it was. In between anemone shrimp. Often tucked well into from side to side like a terrier. dive-guides to indicate these powerful bright red of cardinalfish glowed under passing clouds the sun was bursting the anemone’s tentacles and almost too Powerful jaws crushed the life out of Y GUIDE WAS WAITING patiently predators. It’s a truism in biology that my torch. These fish are easily through, and the shoals of bream were small for my ageing eyes, these are the unfortunate mollusc. Mand his local knowledge and, good numbers of predators indicate a overlooked, blending in and looking glinting silver. Cow bream were grazing challenging, and while I’m not saying Around the larger rocks, thousands of perhaps, much younger eyes, paid off. He healthy and thriving eco-system. decidedly drab until illuminated. on the turf of algae, living up to their I managed, it was the best I’d ever done. small damselfish shoaled. As we passed pointed towards a smallish fish resting in I hadn’t been sure what to expect on On that note a good torch, with a wide name, and shoals of damsels flocked The weather continued to improve, the large boulder field and dropped a crack in the wall, a red-lipped goby. this trip. When I arrived in the port town beam, is essential to see the life here in constantly around us. albeit slowly. To be fair this isn’t normal lower, we hit a thermocline and saw the I’ve seen these before, but never of Palau (nope, another place), the “true colour”. Wherever the sun can’t Nudis were present again, in great for Sardinia, with rain and storms usually tell-tale blurring of the water. The managed to get a decent shot of one. heavens had opened and seemed intent reach, the rocks are covered in yellow number and quite large. Purple confined to the winter months and not Below, clockwise from temperature plummeted from 23 to 17°C, They’re appropriately named, with a on remaining agape for some time to and orange polyps and cup corals, nudibranchs looked like explosions of top left: White-tufted the autumn, when the waters should be and despite my two layers of neoprene, vivid red pout, and camouflage that come. The occasional rumble of thunder growing within a jumble of blue and tentacles. Small but delicately marked worm; white-tipped almost at their best. I started shivering. means you can easily pass them by. and a stiff breeze hadn’t helped. vivid red sponges. The colours can be triplefin fish rested on their fins. nudibranch; migrating Despite this aseasonality, the following No matter, as we came across a It had been a fine last dive, topped off Below : Moray eel Next morning, bleary-eyed and a little breathtaking. A jumble of shells around a crack aeolid; spotted doris. day’s dives would be my favourite. We under-caffeinated, I had met Vinny and had travelled to the eastern coast of Isola Stephanie, the other owner of Nautilus. de , to a site where seahorses had We picked out some kit for me and been spotted. I crossed my fingers. made our way to the harbour, which was I’ve only ever seen one seahorse before, packed with smart yachts belonging to in a seagrass bed, and that’s what I was the well-heeled who make this stretch of expecting on this dive. coastline their nautical playground. So when my guide started scanning As we pulled out on the centre’s well- a sponge- and polyp-encrusted rock wall, appointed boat, Vinny noted my dome- I wondered what was going on. port and we chatted about the photography options for the week, AIR ENOUGH, I THOUGHT , and suggesting that shooting macro might be Fbothered a few wee fish, accepting the way to go, at least for the next few that I’d go seahorseless. How wrong I days with the drop in visibility caused by was. Julie started squealing and waving recent storms. me over, and there it was, tail wrapped “After tomorrow it’ll get better,” he around a growth of weed, its mane of said. “The wind will swing round.” projections looking so much like the We dived off a small rocky islet near algae around it that I’m not sure I would the island of Spargi, a well-sheltered site have spotted it. that was a favourite of the guides. It The demure little animal was difficult turned out to be a townhall-sized edifice to shoot but I focused on its eye, willing it that rose from the 30m seabed to 5-6m to rotate a little and face me. It didn’t, below the surface. alas, but still, I had doubled my seahorse Cracks in the rock held anemones and count. all manner of life that scuttled out of my The weather had determined my torchlight. As we dropped to the lowest diving somewhat, but it had had a point of the dive, three large grouper more serious effect earlier in the year. di vEr 62 di vErNEt.com di vErNEt.com 63 di vEr HOLIDAYS SARDINIA

The warm temperatures that the Mediterranean region had experienced over the summer had meant warm conditions for divers but troublesome conditions for some of the areas’ most attractive residents – gorgonians. Long periods during which the temperatures reached into the mid-20s at the depths in which gorgonians thrive had stressed them to the point that many had died. I had asked if I could see some, and as we explored a site at around 30m, I was saddened to see the many gorgonians’ skeletons showing creamy white where the purple flesh and polyps had disappeared. Vinny assured me that they were recovering, however, and indeed many still held purple patches where the animal was regenerating. For years I was unaware of these species, which often lie that bit deeper than many holiday dives in the Med reach. How many UK divers are aware of these beautiful eco-systems, which rival any tropical location for colour and complexity? German aircraft during the last war. The With luck, a cool summer next year rest of the plane has yet to be found, and will ensure that they recover well. Vinny is perhaps somewhere on the floor of the tells me that below 40m the gorgonians Bonifacio Strait that separates Sardinia remain in fine fettle but it’s telling that from . the warmth is penetrating deeper. The engine is photogenic, colonised by the ever-present colourful sponges of the WOULD USUALLY CHOOSE a reef region, and a well-positioned buddy or Iover a wreck (though of course some dive-guide can help the image stand out. wrecks can be full of life), but I did hope But, sadly, I can’t tell you any more about that I’d be able to find some iron or steel this little chunk of wartime history. to add to my critter shots. Vinny obliged It didn’t take long to be charmed by with the most unusual wreck site I’ve the Maddalena Archipelago. Once the visited, Il Motore . weather had cleared and the sun returned This is exactly what it sounds like, a I could understand why all those yachts motor, though in this case a 12-cylinder were here. I’m glad I didn’t let the Med radial aircraft engine, sitting alone at fool me – there’s an awful lot of life and 20m or so. Apparently it was shot off a colour down there.

Top : WW2 aircraft relic Il Motore . Above right : Harbour at GFETTAINGC THTERFE 8IRiLchaE rd flew La Maddalena. to with easyJet from London Gatwick. Nautilus can help arrange taxis Left : Anemone shrimp. to Palau, a 30-minute journey, with Sardegnatours, sardegnatours.eu. Right : Recovering gorgonians. DIVING & ACCOMMODATION 8Nautilus Diving Centre is a PADI 5* Gold Palm and BSAC resort, divesardegna.com. Nitrox is available. ACCOMMODATION 8Choose from apartment up to 4* hotels. Richard stayed at a Le Gemme apartment, palauappartamenti.com WHEN TO GO 8 Best times are either side of summer, May/June and September/October. PRICES 8easyJet flights from around £80, taxi transfers 150 euros (both ways). Le Gemme apartment for two from 220 euros pp for seven nights. A guided 10-dive package at Nautilus costs 385 euros pp. VISITOR INFORMATION 8sardegna.com di vEr 64 di vErNEt.com