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Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Europe and Mediterranean

Europe and Mediterranean

Italy

Protected Mediterranean islands and reserves with clear water, caves, reefs, whales offshore and very good food.

Clear blue sea beside the wooded island of Tavolara
Tavolara and Capo Carbonara, Sardinia · Photo: Massimo Virgilio on Unsplash
Exploring

Ethics pass, with care. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard, as long as we work with the right local operator. Checked by Ocean Calling on 30 Sep 2026. Sources: Italy country and marine dossier, Ocean Calling research notes, 24 Sep 2026; High Quality Whale Watching certificate, ACCOBAMS; Green Fins Italy.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. The US State Department rates Italy at Level 2, exercise increased caution, because of terrorism risk, most recently updated 10 September. Australia's Smartraveller advises normal safety precautions and notes common petty crime. Sources: US Embassy in Italy, travel advisory September 2026 · Smartraveller travel advice, Italy Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

ScubaSnorkellingWhalesTurtlesDolphins

Why Italy

Italy protects about 15 percent of its marine waters, including reserves at Ustica, Portofino, Plemmirio, Tavolara and Capo Carbonara. Water is clear from May to October, and divers find caves, walls, groupers and amberjack. Offshore in the Ligurian Sea, fin whales, sperm whales and dolphins live in the Pelagos Sanctuary and are watched from a boat only. Italy is easy to reach from Spain and Switzerland, but we have no trips yet and are still choosing carefully.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

W. SaharaKazakhstanUzbekistanSudanChadRussiaNorwayGreenlandFranceMaliMauritaniaNigerIsraelLebanonPalestineTunisiaAlgeriaJordanUnited Arab EmiratesQatarKuwaitIraqOmanTurkmenistanIranSyriaArmeniaSwedenBelarusUkrainePolandAustriaHungaryMoldovaRomaniaLithuaniaLatviaEstoniaGermanyBulgariaGreeceTurkeyAlbaniaCroatiaSwitzerlandLuxembourgBelgiumNetherlandsPortugalSpainIrelandItalyDenmarkUnited KingdomAzerbaijanGeorgiaSloveniaFinlandSlovakiaCzechiaSaudi ArabiaN. CyprusCyprusMoroccoEgyptLibyaBosnia and Herz.MacedoniaSerbiaMontenegroKosovoUstica, Sicily, ItalyTavolara and Capo Carbonara, Sardinia, ItalyPortofino and the Ligurian Sea, ItalyPlemmirio, Syracuse, Italy

When to go

May-Oct. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass, with care

Good with the right operator. Here is how we choose.

Italy has real ethical experiences, like dives in protected reserves with authorised centres and whale watching from a boat. We avoid any swim with whales or dolphins, and we do not chase or feed them. Turtles and the rare monk seal are for watching only. Each reserve has its own rules on touching, feeding and where to dive, and we follow them. We have not yet checked a freediving school.

Checked 30 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Italy

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Ustica, Sicily

Exploring

Italy's oldest marine reserve, with very clear water, caves and walls.

🤿 In the water: Brown grouper, Amberjack, Barracuda, Octopus

When: May-Oct. May to October is the main season. The island has a seasonal chamber for divers from 1 May to 31 October, and ferries depend on the weather.

Tavolara and Capo Carbonara, Sardinia

Exploring

Two marine reserves in Sardinia with clear water, reefs, walls and caves, easy from three airports.

🤿 In the water: Reef fish

When: May-Oct. May to October is the main season, with summer water about 22 to 26 C. Strong mistral and tramontana winds can change plans.

Portofino and the Ligurian Sea

Exploring

A reserve with walls, caves and wrecks, next to the Pelagos Sanctuary for whales and dolphins.

🤿 In the water: Gorgonian walls and reef fish

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Fin whales, sperm whales and striped dolphins (from a boat with a certified whale watching operator, never certain)

When: May-Oct. Water is about 18 C in May and up to 26 or 27 C by late summer. Offshore sea state can change quickly.

Plemmirio, Syracuse

Exploring

A reserve near Syracuse with walls and caves, close to Ortigia's food and history.

🤿 In the water: Groupers

When: May-Oct. May to October is the main season, and September and October keep the summer warmth with fewer people.

Animals

Animals recorded in Italy

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Land animals
Fin whale surfacing, showing its white right lower jawFin whaleBalaenoptera physalusSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableStriped dolphin leaping, dark flank stripe clearly visibleStriped dolphinStenella coeruleoalbaSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo long-finned pilot whales surfacing side by sideLong-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala melasSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCuvier's beaked whale surfacing, pale scarred head and small dorsal finCuvier's beaked whaleZiphius cavirostrisSeen in 42 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLoggerhead turtle at the surface feeding on Portuguese man o' warLoggerhead turtleCaretta carettaSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasVulnerableMediterranean monk seal head above blue water, whiskers visibleMediterranean monk sealMonachus monachusSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBump-head sunfish swimming in blue water off Nusa PenidaOcean sunfish (mola)Mola molaSeen in 29 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWhite shark swimming under sunlit surface with small fish nearbyWhite sharkCarcharodon carchariasSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableOceanic whitetip shark with pilot fish in sunlit Red Sea waterOceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredBlacktip shark swimming in green water in the GalápagosBlacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatusSeen in 49 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSandbar shark with its tall dorsal fin over a sandy seabed in HawaiʻiSandbar sharkCarcharhinus plumbeusSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasEndangeredSpinetail devil ray gliding in blue water off Crete with small fishSpinetail devil rayMobula mobularSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredBasking shark swimming underwater in green water off Argyll, ScotlandBasking sharkCetorhinus maximusSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasEndangeredCommon octopus crawling over a rocky seabed in FranceCommon octopusOctopus vulgarisSeen in 32 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSmooth hammerhead swimming in clear blue open water off SpainSmooth hammerheadSphyrna zygaenaSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasVulnerableShortfin mako shark at Condor Bank in the North Atlantic, AzoresShortfin makoIsurus oxyrinchusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBlue shark swimming in open blue water off the Azores with a diver in the backgroundBlue sharkPrionace glaucaSeen in 50 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedAngelshark with a flat, mottled brown body swimming just above a sandy seabed in dark waterAngelsharkSquatina squatinaSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredA Black Sea seahorse in the shallow water at Eforie-SudLong-snouted seahorseHippocampus guttulatusSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSpiny dogfish resting on the seabed at the Josephine Marie shipwreck, Stellwagen Bank National Marine SanctuarySpiny dogfishSqualus acanthiasSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic puffin spreading its wings on a cliff in IcelandAtlantic puffinFratercula arcticaSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasVulnerableNoble pen shell in Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, FR, iNaturalist research-grade observationNoble pen shell (fan mussel)Pinna nobilisSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredMauve stinger jellyfish in Girona, ES-CT, ES, iNaturalist research-grade observationMauve stinger jellyfishPelagia noctilucaSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedDusky grouper underwater at Cabo de Palos, SpainDusky grouperEpinephelus marginatusSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAdult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, PrincipeBrown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSailfish swimming in open blue water, seen from below, with its long bill and tall dorsal finSailfishIstiophorus platypterusSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAtlantic bluefin tuna leaping out of choppy water, recorded in Hovedstaden, DenmarkAtlantic bluefin tunaThunnus thynnusSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarlet ibis in flight against a pale blue sky, photographed in Georgetown, GuyanaScarlet ibisEudocimus ruberSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernRed coral colonies with white open polyps on a rock wall among sponges and encrusting growthRed coralCorallium rubrumSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasNot EvaluatedSilver-cheeked toadfish resting just above sandy seabed, with its pale belly and dark-spotted backSilver-cheeked toadfishLagocephalus sceleratusSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhite-tailed eagle in flight low over calm water with a fish in its talons, near Raftsund, Lofoten, NorwayWhite-tailed eagleHaliaeetus albicillaSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernCommon smooth-hound swimming just above a sandy seabed, with a slim grey-brown body and two dorsal finsCommon smooth-houndMustelus mustelusSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasEndangeredAmerican flamingo wading in shallow water with its head lowered toward the surface, Yucatán, MexicoAmerican flamingoPhoenicopterus ruberSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasLives on landLeast ConcernGreat cormorant perched on a branch, with white head plumes and a glossy blue-black backGreat cormorantPhalacrocorax carboSeen in 90 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a northern gannet face, with pale blue eyes and a golden headNorthern gannetMorus bassanusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScopoli's shearwater skimming just above calm blue waterScopoli's shearwaterCalonectris diomedeaSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernEuropean shag sitting on its nest of dry grass, dark green-tinged plumage and yellow gapeEuropean shagGulosus aristotelisSeen in 31 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo pygmy cormorants perched on a bare branchPygmy cormorantMicrocarbo pygmaeusSeen in 26 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a small-spotted catshark head, with dark spots, resting on the seabedSmall-spotted catshark (lesser spotted dogfish)Scyliorhinus caniculaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernYelkouan shearwater lifting off the sea surface with wings raisedYelkouan shearwaterPuffinus yelkouanSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBluntnose sixgill shark swimming over the seabed at depth in the Gulf of MexicoBluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedMarbled electric ray lying on a sandy seabed, spotted pattern visibleMarbled electric rayTorpedo marmorataSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBrown ray resting on a sandy seabed, with a blue-centred eyespot on each wingBrown rayRaja miraletusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernKitefin sharkDalatias lichaSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableVelvet belly lanternshark swimming just above a dark seabed, with a violet sheen along its flankVelvet belly lanternsharkEtmopterus spinaxSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasVulnerableThornback ray swimming over a rocky seabed in shallow green waterThornback rayRaja clavataSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedNursehound resting on a rocky ledge among spongesNursehoundScyliorhinus stellarisSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCommon torpedo resting on sand, showing the dark spots on its round discCommon torpedo (ocellate torpedo)Torpedo torpedoSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCommon stingray resting on a bed of seagrass, with its eye and body edge in viewCommon stingrayDasyatis pastinacaSeen in 13 countries in the AtlasVulnerableCommon eagle ray seen from above, gliding over a rocky seabed with its long tail trailingCommon eagle rayMyliobatis aquilaSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredPelagic stingray seen from above, swimming over the seabed in clear blue waterPelagic stingrayPteroplatytrygon violaceaSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlonde ray resting on pebbles in a shallow rock poolBlonde rayRaja brachyuraSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBlackmouth catsharkGaleus melastomusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLongnosed skateDipturus oxyrinchusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSandy rayLeucoraja circularisSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
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