Marine Protected Area

Marine protected area since 2000, managed by the regional body Roma natura, which manages the parks of the municipality of Rome.

Located about 6 nautical miles from the coast, between Ostia and Torvaianica, they are entirely submerged and are a real underwater mountain that from 60 meters deep, reaches up to minus 18 meters below sea level, at the shallowest point. The protected area has an extension of about 2500 hectares and is delimited by four perimeter buoys, where navigation is prohibited except for authorized boats, such as diving centers.

Zone B park, diving is authorized, through the diving centers accredited by Roma natura, small professional and sport fishing, always with prior authorization.

Anchoring is prohibited, the mooring of diving center boats takes place through special mooring buoys, located on the top of the shoal. Each buoy is the starting point for different dives, all different for the characteristics of the seabed. From the large meadows of oceanic posidonia, to the coralligenous and limestone formations, enlivened by cracks, mountains, gullies and caves.

The amp of the shallows of Tor Paterno today holds important records:

First AMP in Italy for biodiversity, (a few years ago, the first was the amp of Tavolara)

 

The only marine area in the Mediterranean, completely submerged and which does not include any portion of coast.

 

A fundamental element for the biology of the Mediterranean as, after very recent studies by the University of Rome La Sapienza, it appears to be a springboard for the colonization of marine organisms that come from the southern Mediterranean, for the colonization of the northern Mediterranean. Almost a "rest" area to then become a springboard towards the north. Situations that, given the conditions of rising temperatures of our sea, today are very frequent and significant. In fact, we can encounter fish and invertebrates that had never colonized the Mediterranean up to these latitudes, such as red groupers, for example.

 

The shallows of Tor Paterno, thanks to the nearby Tiber River that creates a significant supply of nutrients, are an explosion of life and rare organisms, both animal and plant, it seems to IMMERSE YOURSELF IN A NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTARY.

Large stingrays, numerous eagle rays, red groupers, snappers, palamides, tuna, schools of thousands of salemas, giant amberjacks, moray eels, conger eels and finally the queens... the large brown groupers, even 70/80kg, are just some of the fish that can be encountered in a single dive

Octopus, cuttlefish, gastropods, echinoderms, lobsters, cicadas, lobsters, nudibranchs, red gorgonians, yellow gorgonians, are just some of the sessile and mobile invertebrates that can be encountered for the happiness of underwater photographers.

Without forgetting the increasingly less occasional encounters with Mediterranean manta rays (mobula), red tuna, lobster turtles, thresher sharks, mako, porbeagle and moonfish (mola mola).

 

Visibility has also changed over the last 10 years. Today, the days of poor visibility can be counted on one hand, throughout the year. This is because the underwater currents have changed and are prevalent from the south.

 

So your dives will not only be beautiful dives but will be real UNDERWATER SAFARIS, which will leave you breathless, thanks to our highly experienced guides, who have a deep knowledge of the place and the best routes.

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Mario Conti

Founding Member Really Scuba Diving