Seahorses Pit

The sandy bottom, usually considered boring, can instead reserve interesting encounters as seahorses, here habitual and present in both species attested in Italy, Hyppocampus hyppocampus and Hyppocampus guttulatus.
It’s also common to meet different species of octopus (Octopus vulgaris and Octopus macropus) in their dens, fascinating flying gurnards (Dactylopterus volitans), big weever fish (Trachinus draco), numerous mullets (Mullus barbatus), camouflaged turbots (Bothus podas), and torpedoes and pearly razor fish (Xyrichthys novacula), locally called “surici”.

Depending on the season of the year, you can meet sea hares (Aplisya depilans), small barracuda (Sphyrena sphyrena) or large barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma pulmo). The bottom is moreover animated by anemones, sea slugs and starfish, including the large Marthasterias glacialis. If you are lucky, you can meet and photograph pelagic fishes such as the sunfish (Mola mola) or the eagle-ray.

Place	Seahorses Pit – Marina di Gioiosa Jonica (RC)
Dive type	From the shore (large beach)
Bottom type	Gravel and sand
Depth (min/max)	0/40 m, with pit above 100 m deep
Current	Absent or weak currents
Biodiversity	Rich fauna typical of sandy seabed
Peculiarities	Presence of a permanent seahorses colony.