Punta Pennello

Type of Dive

Punta Pennello is a part of Giannutri Island that leans towards Giglio Island, and creates a very long and colorful wall. After some minutes of dive along this wall, full of holes and lairs, you reach a cave, full of shrimps and other fishes that live there. Going back to the boat, on the plateau where it is often possible to find current, there could be some big groups of snappers or amberjacks.

SHOAL OF PUNTA PENNELLO

The Punta Pennello shoal is a very large shoal with a particular geological conformation, which is located in the westernmost area of ​​the island of Giannutri and which allows underwater itineraries for all tastes.

We begin our dive at the edge of the plateau, where we find a ridge that sinks into the blue to over 40 meters of depth. The posidonia forest is a precious habitat for an enormous variety of animal and plant species, starting with the pinna nobilis, a bivalve mollusc which is going through a difficult time due to a protozoan which is destroying entire populations.

Along the wall there are numerous caves and caverns, some are mapped and cataloged and have real fresh water springs inside.

There are many possible itineraries to follow: the most suitable choice for recreational divers is to dive pointing in the direction of Giglio island reaching a beautiful wall that leads to a first cave, very colourful, always populated by shrimps, forkbeards, lobsters and spirographs… in this direction the wall continues towards the second cave offering large boulders covered with gorgonians and encrusting sponges.

Going back to the mooring point swimming on the posidonia prairie we often come across a large school of barracuda.

The second itinerary is different. For this dive it would be perfect to use the DPV, given the distance to travel along to reach what is called the “second shoal of Punta Pennello”.

Following the ridge towards the external part of the shoal we find ourselves on a spectacular seabed which becomes vertical, forming a very colorful wall, with some ravines and caves of various sizes populated by lobsters, shrimps and forkbeards.

At this point, if you want to stay within a depth of 55\60 m, you can simply go along the wall and explore the entire shoal until you return, on the other side of the point, on the side facing Punta Ischiaiola.

If, however, you want to continue, when you arrive at the 3rd cave (Venus’ cave) just keep it behind you and point the compass towards the west. At this point you find yourself on a sandy slope rich in hydrozoans (lytocarpia myriophyllum) until you reach the western end of the shoal. Here a limestone monolith sinks to over 90 meters of depth full of life and with a beautiful colony of black coral (Antypatella subpinnata).

This is a magical place, where large specimens of sunfish (Mola Mola) are often encountered. Pay particular attention to the currents, sometimes quite strong, especially at the top of the shoal and to the nets and old fishing gear abandoned along the edge of the shoal, right on the edge of the “protected” area of ​​the island, where fishing is not allowed.