While we were in Sardinia earlier in June for a wedding, we decided to check out the diving. Maire Kirby was also at the wedding so the three of us decided to do two dives with Capo Galera Dive Centre. The centre has a fantastic location on the end of a headland looking back at Alghero – the main town where we were staying. It is on top of a cliff, 15m above sea level and has a nifty “lift”, a sledge rigged on a rail, to ferry gear up and down to the dock below.

We were diving from Patrizia, a 15m wooden boat with room for 20 divers. The first dive was enjoyable, lots of life including barracuda and octopus and a cave that you couldn’t go that far into but still gave us a taste of what was to come in the afternoon. The second dive was Ghost Cave, and this was the highlight. We entered the cave at 10m through a small “letterbox” which led into a narrow tunnel and a submerged chamber. Daylight never reaches this place so it was pitch black and we were glad of our torches on loan from the dive centre. We circled carefully and continued on through another tunnel to surface (briefly!) in a small chamber where the guide told us to watch out for the church organ. Sure enough, the stalactites did resemble a church organ. No hanging around, we were off again down a tunnel of smooth white rock, like marble, to emerge back again in the deep blue sea. We were in the cave for around 15 minutes in total and while relatively short-lived, it was a fantastic dive.

Naturally, Richard and I were back for more the following day (Maire, sadly, was on her way home). This time we dived Madonna Cave which again was a great dive. The entrance at 15m led, through a passage, into a large chimney with light streaming in from the outside above. We ascended the chimney, circling slowly, looking upwards at the light streaming in. To exit we descended through a side passage, which required some feet-first shimmying, and emerged – again – into the open ocean.

We also did some wreck diving on the East coast and scenic diving further North of Alghero which was teeming with barracuda. All great dives, visibility of at least 20m and plenty of life. All in all, Sardinian diving is to be recommended!

Newsletter Articles

Notes from the Chair
Curragh Renunion
The “Nasello”, a Sardinian “Guide Me”
Ballycastle Newsletter
Sardinia Diving
Testing Time
Trainee

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