Let’s do snorkeling in Sardinia! Yes, although we are not in the Caribbean sea or in the Great barrer reef, snorkeling in Sardinia can be a very amazing experience also if you are a first-timer.
Altough, there are not big colourful fish or see turtles to see, in Sardinia you can meet several different species and a lot of odd creatures. We report here a list of the most common fish and some other animals that you can usually observe during a snorkeling tour:
First of all, we mention Oblada melanura; in English is called Saddled seabream. This is a very common fish in all the island, it likes to forms big schools that you can generally meet in sandy areas. These fish hang around the boats in crowded bays waiting for food and they are not frightened by human. Saddled seabream are always hungry and really confident and courious, especially when in large groups. Swimming troughout a cloud of shining silver fish it’s certainly one of the most exciting moments when you have a snorkeling in the crystal clear water.
The Sarpa salpa is salso very common, in English it is called Salema, it‘s a medium size fish decorated with yellow and white strips. You can see this lazy-looking fish going around with a bunch of other colleagues, swimming slowly and browsing the vegetation on the rocks.
The most colorful fish you can find in this part of the Mediterranean sea, is the Thalassoma pavo, the Ornate wrasse. It’s a splendid animal with many various hues that change according to gender and age. In fact, the Ornate wrasse is a protogynous hermaphrodite fish. it born male colored green with a black spot and after few years it become female with an incredible multicoloured livery. It is a very curious fish and you will see how easy is to attract them just by moving gently the bottom of the sea with your hand.
During your snorkeling in Sardinia it is also easy to meet large school of mullets, various type of wrasses and sea breams, combers and damselfish. Beside, you can take a look among the rocks for sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins and you can also meet some friendly octopuses.
In the Maddalena National Park, where we manly do our snorkeling tours, there are some sandy areas like The Natural Swimming Pools, Santa Maria Bay or Cala Coticcio that are the perfect spots for snorkeling and for meeting some Saddled seabream. While in the north side of Spargi island and in the east coast of Caprera and Budelli islands as there is rocky seafloor it is more easy to see sea stars, morays and octopuses.
Our favourite spot in the Maddalena Archipelago is Cala Brigantina which is in Caprera island. It is a long and cozy cove with shallow water and rich in marine life. Here you can swim freely and it is very easy to meet a number of species, just floating on the surface with your mask.
Snorkeling is a fun acquatic activity that everyone can do alone, in particular in some areas of Sardinia that are pretty calm and with no current. However, to make the most out of your snorkeling experience we suggest you to do it with a local expert or take part in one of the guided snorkeling tour available. If you plan to explore the Archipelago of La Maddalena, Southern Corsica or Costa Smeralda you can contact us.
