Underwater flower garden around Tavolara island, Sardinia

 

Sharing again the amazing underwater colours of the Tavolara marine park in Sardinia! There are sooo many underwater plants like the marine marguerite (it. "margherita di mare") which makes the underwater landscape looks like a garden/field above the surface:-))) And of course we met the nudibranches! In the last picture you can see Nico swimming above an old amphora...Can you see it, it almost as big as him:-)))

Underwater colours around Tavolara, Sardinia - part 2, nudibranches

 

The tiny nudibranches (from "nacked" (="nudi" in Latin) and "gills" (="branch" in Greek) are some of the most colourful creatures on Earth, and of course underwater. These sea slugs have lost their shell as they have developped other protecting mechanism. They either blend in with the environment they live in or they have striking coloration which is warning that they are distasteful or poisonous...

 

While diving around Tavolara island one may encounter few of them as presented here. However these beauties love cold water and in summer hide into the deep waters...

 
And one big red sea star for a happy end....

Welcome to island Tavolara in Sardinia/ Isola Tavolara in Sardegna

 

Today I will take you to a magic and very relaxing place...from the amazing beach "La Cinta" (on the first picture) you may already spot its mighty and magical silhouette: the island Tavolara. This limestone rock is 5 km long and 1 km wide, its hightest point is Monte Cannone with 565 m above sea level...

Tavolara is pretty quiet nowadays with daily ferries bringing tourists in summer for enjoying the quiet beaches. All inhabitants were displaced in 1962 when a NATO radiogoniometric station was constructed on the eastern half of the island. The aerials from the station can be seen from quite a distance, and that entire half of the island is restricted to military personnel. The island has also a VLF-transitter that can transmit messages to submarines. Now only few families live here and a restaurant offers warm food to the tourist.

 

Last but not least a lot of visitors come to admire Tavolaras underwater inhabitants...

 
Tavolara in the back here after some great dives with our favourite diving club called Porto San Paolo!

Diving with "polpi"/octopuses next to Tavolara, Sardinia

The emerald sea around the three islands Tavolara, Molara and Molaretto (in the North of Sardinia) is an amazing nature reserve, called "Tavolara and Capo Coda Cavallo Marine Park". Laura, our friendly diving master from Sardinia, had this very funny dry suit, with the ears on the head...

The underwater world in the park is very beautiful. During only one day we met/ saw 7 octopuses! Some of them were sleeping in their holes. One could see just their eyes and the breathing opening next to the eyes. One "polpo" was not afraid at all and made a big show by stretching slowly all his 8 tentacles.