Sardinia is a true pearl of the Mediterranean, and the gulf off Lotzorai is a top tourist destination with its sandy beaches and turquoise waters. It’s impossible not to be drawn to the seabed of this marvelous sea for a free snorkeling session or for more equipped diving.
Lotzorai is beautiful in any season, and always offers the opportunity to enjoy this experience regardless of your level and physical condition. Enjoy the joys of swimming underwater…
Schools of saddled seabream, silvery fish with black tail spots, are the first to approach. Curious and eager, they wait for anchored vessels to throw a piece of bread into the sea, snatching it as soon as it touches the surface. Seagulls will try to get there first, but they are so swift that they always prevail. Just dive in with a mask and snorkel, and this will be your first encounter with the tiny marine inhabitants of the Ogliastra Island. It’s just the beginning. After a few strokes, just keep your eyes fixed on the seabed and you’ll see dozens of different fish species. Close to the rocky seabed, you’ll spot the common sea bass, a small, lazy-looking fish with dark stripes and a purple belly, a relative of the large grouper. Groupers are also present among the rocks; they are very small, distinguishable from common sea bass by their dark brown color with numerous apple-green spots. Around the seagrass swim salemas and a whole variety of small fish from the labridae family, bright green or blue with an orange stripe. The tiny black fish that swim in midwater are called castagnole. In the local dialect, they are called mongixeddas, which literally means “little nuns.”
Even along the entire sandy shoreline, you can have interesting encounters if you’re equipped with a mask and snorkel. It’s easy to spot red mullet, white bream, striped seabream, and sole. If there’s a small, isolated rock, it’ll be populated by the same fish found on the islet. Garfish, small mullets, and barracudas will be easily spotted in midwater or on the surface, thanks to their shimmering light. It may seem counterintuitive, but swimming in shallow water makes it easier to see the many fish that remain in contact with the seabed. Basic safety rules (marker buoys, distance from the shore) are essential for enjoying this sport in complete safety. Several shops specializing in diving equipment are located in the Lotzorai area. Some excursion centers can accommodate group requests.Even along the entire sandy shoreline, you can have interesting encounters if you’re equipped with a mask and snorkel. It’s easy to spot red mullet, white bream, striped seabream, and sole. If there’s a small, isolated rock, it’ll be populated by the same fish found on the islet. Garfish, small mullets, and barracudas will be easily spotted in midwater or on the surface, thanks to their shimmering light. It may seem counterintuitive, but swimming in shallow water makes it easier to see the many fish that remain in contact with the seabed. Basic safety rules (marker buoys, distance from the shore) are essential for enjoying this sport in complete safety. Several shops specializing in diving equipment are located in the Lotzorai area. Some excursion centers can accommodate group requests.
The Ogliastra Island is a destination for numerous dives organized by the various diving centers in the nearby ports of Arbatax and Santa Maria Navarrese. The unique shape of the islet, with its imposing granite pinnacles, is repeated beneath the sea. Spectacular ascents begin from a depth of 25 meters to reach just a few meters from the surface. A wealth of marine life develops around these pinnacles. Schools of barracuda, amberjack, and salema perform spectacular carousels. On the seabed, among the rocks and seagrass meadows, you can encounter numerous predators: groupers, snappers, scorpionfish, octopuses, and large moray eels that slither beneath the rocks.
Beyond the Diving at the Isolotto, specialized dive centers offer numerous spots: wrecks, walls covered with gorgonian corals, and sea caves beneath the limestone cliffs of the Supramonte. While traveling by dive center’s vehicles, it’s not uncommon to encounter a pod of dolphins, often found along the coast.
