THE BAY OF LA FRANCESCA

The small bay in front of La Francesca has unique characteristics. It is sheltered from rough sea and is a real natural aquarium, that can be observed by inexperienced divers as well.

First of all, it is protected by thick and luxuriant Posidonia's grasslands. The green-brawn leaves you sometimes find on the beach or meet when swimming in shallow water is not sea-grass but a real plant with roots and sometimes flowers and fruits. Posidonia's grasslands are a clear evidence of a protected environment, because as soon as pollution arrives, they decrease and disappear. Many years ago, it also happened at La Francesca when work in the port of Scario caused a temporary clouding of waters.

Today the grassland is luxuriant and is a precious environment for the lives of an incredible number of sea animals.

The pipe-fish (Syngnathus sp.) is typical. It belongs to the family of sea horses and is an interesting and nice animal which perfectly mimics with the leaves of posidonia. It is quite numerous at La Francesca but it is difficult to spot it thanks to its mimic characteristics. If by chance you capture one of them (they are very slow and can be captured with the hands), do not keep it but after showing it to the children, put it into the sea again. And there are many other animals, big and small, that find shelter and food in our grassland.

However, it is near the rock that it is possible to admire the most interesting animals, all belonging to the family of echinoderms: a great number of different varieties of brittle stars, sea cucumbers, sea stars. Funny fishes, such as

blenny (Blennius sp.); wrasses (Labrus); rainbow wrasse (Coris julis); thalassoma pavo; euscarus cretensis; lobster (Palinurus vulgaris, very rare); grouper (Epinephelus sp.); cardinal fish (Apogon imberbis); Anthias axinellae; muraene (Muraene helena); sea-bass (Dicentrachus labrax) gilthead (Sparus auratus); saddled bream (Oblada melanura); flounder (Pleuronectes flesus) sea bream (Dentex dentex); salpa (Boops salpa); greater weever (Tracina draco); needle-fish (Belone belone); surmullet (Mullus surmuletus); red mullet (Mullus barbutus); grey mullet (Mugil cephalus); goby (Gobius niger); wrasse (Labrus viridis); sheepshead bream (Puntazzo puntazzo); white bream (Diplodus vulgaris); scorpion fish (Scopaena sp.); comber (Serranus cabrilla); astroide calycularis; parazoanthus axinellae.

Octopusses (Octopus vulgaris), sponges, sea anemones (Anemonia sp.) nudibranchi and many other animals that would be too lengthy list. In some places there also is the red coral (Corallium rubrum). Please do not damage or break it. Once outside the water it looses its beautiful colours and it takes many years to it to reform.

Besides the number animals, what amazes us is their extreme variety of. Ecology teaches us that when there is a large variety of species there is a particularly well-preserved environment.

The fact that our bay owns these characteristics confirms that the environment is not polluted, also thanks to the measures taken.