Tavolara - Secca del Papa 2

The dive

Secca del Papa 2 is the second, deeper half of the shoal that continues Punta del Papa underwater at the eastern end of Tavolara. A sandy channel splits the reliefs in two; the first summit is at 15 m and this one at 24 m, and the AMP's 2025 disciplinare lists them as two separate authorised dive points, each with its own mooring buoy, both in Zone B. The official positions are 40 54.920' N / 009 44.818' E for Papa 1 and 40 54.916' N / 009 44.859' E for Papa 2, so the two buoys are only about 60 m apart; Orso Diving's briefing puts the second shoal roughly 70 m from the first. Our catalogue pin for this site sits some 340 m south-south-west of the AMP position.

The two halves are not the same dive. Papa 2 rises from a sandy bottom that Orso Diving records at 50 m, against 40 to 45 m for Papa 1, and Tavolara Diving Center gives its working range as 28 to 45 m against 15 to 33 m for the first shoal. Orso is explicit that the second shoal is the harder of the two and recommends it only to experienced divers on Nitrox 32, precisely so the bottom time is not cut to nothing. Some groups start on the Papa 1 buoy and swim across at 18 to 20 m to reach it; others take the second buoy directly.

What you see is the same coralligenous system, deeper and darker. Large red gorgonian fans, Paramuricea clavata, in the red-to-yellow colour range the site is known for, then brown groupers and shoals of brown meagre; small nudibranchs including Flabellina work the hydroid growth on the rock. Barracuda hang in numbers over the shoal and big dentex run its edges. On the outer tip, at 36 to 38 m, Orso describes shoals of dentex with golden grouper among them, banks of white seabream, and tuna on the good days. Because of the depth this is a short dive.

Access is by boat and only through an AMP-authorised dive centre: in Zone B private divers may use the buoys at Molara (Punta Arresto) and I Tre Fratelli (Relitto Omega) and nowhere else, and anchoring is forbidden. Two boats and twelve divers at a time is the cap for the site, with a maximum of six divers per guide.

• Summit at 24 m on a 50 m bottom, the deeper of the two Papa shoals
• Red and yellow Paramuricea clavata fans on the reliefs
• Barracuda over the shoal and dentex running its edges
• Outer tip at 36 to 38 m with dentex shoals, golden grouper and occasional tuna
• Nitrox 32 recommended so the bottom time is usable

Conditions

Clear water that operators rate as excellent without giving a figure. Water runs 14 to 15 C from January to March and 20 to 26 C from July to September. The shoal is unsheltered; current is usually light but is reported to run strong at times.

On current: Sources disagree on the summit depth and we have used the marine park's figure. The AMP, Blu Infinito and Scuba Revolution all put the top of the second relief at 24 m; Orso Diving says 20 m; Tavolara Diving Center quotes the working range as 28 to 45 m. On current, Scuba Revolution records it as weak and rarely moderate while Orso says the Papa shoals sometimes run strong, and we have taken the stronger reading.

Best months: May, Jun, Sep, Oct