Inside the bay of San Fruttuoso, on the east side, there is this dive site of religious interest, outside the B zone of the Portofino MPA.
Duilio Marcante, a diving pioneer, wanted the bronze statue of Christ of the Abyss to protect divers and seafarers. It was placed on August 29, 1954 on a large concrete pedestal.
In 2003 it was restored and then repositioned underwater on July 17, 2004 on a new base.
The base of the statue is at -12 meters while the head at -8 meters.
RED PATH (up to -40 meters)
After the pre-dive check we will descend under the boat which is moored bow and stern at the 2 buoys closest to the statue.
During the descent we will pass by them but we will stop to observe and photograph them on the way back. Our goal will be to visit the beautiful wall full of coral and gorgonians, of cracks and ravines where congers, lobsters, musdee, etc. find shelter.
After passing between a large boulder on the left and a pinnacle on the right we will descend along the wall keeping it to our left.
At -36 meters a large vertical crack opens up to be illuminated with the torch. Arrived at -40 meters we will begin to rise in altitude in correspondence with a recess with various scattered boulders.
At -20 meters we will continue towards SOUTH EAST on a plateau of rocks and posidonia where the passage of predators coming from the blue is very frequent. Here the large brown groupers swim undisturbed around us.
Going up again at an altitude of about -13 meters we will begin to return towards the bay with the wall on our right. Giant boulders resting one on the other create some suggestive passages.
Keeping the altitude of -12 meters we will reach the feet of the Christ of the Abyss. The young groupers emerge from the small boulders around the large pedestal and look at us curiously. We will take a few minutes to take pictures. The stop of 3 mn at 5 meters we will make it instead by turning near the wall of the bay behind the statue. During the ascent to the surface, keep very close to our boat because as it is not a site of the Portofino MPA, it is subject to the passage of motor boats despite the rule to sail at a distance of 100 meters from the boat of divers and divers. turn off the engine near the buoys near the statue.
GREEN PATH (up to -18 mt)
After the pre-dive check we will descend near the mooring buoy chain. We will be close to the statue, but we will linger on our return. Arrived at -18 meters we will pass through a small canyon created by a large boulder on our left and a pinnacle on the right. We will fly over an expanse of posidonia where the large brown groupers will welcome us. Looking into the blue we will see the snappers hunting in the clouds of damselfish. Once we reach the 100 bars we will go back zigzagging among the gigantic boulders resting one on the other that create some suggestive passages. Keeping the altitude of -12 meters we will reach the feet of Christ. We will take a few minutes to take pictures. The stop of 3 mn at 5 meters we will make it instead by turning near the wall of the bay behind the statue. During the ascent to the surface we will keep very close to our boat because as it is not a site of the Portofino MPA, it is subject to the passage of motor boats despite the rule of keeping at a distance of 100 meters from the divers’ boat.
Video Christ of the Abyss
Cecilia Luconi
