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THE TURSUB PROJECT
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TURSUB is the Project developed by the Municipalities of Caorle, Grado and Koper in the context of the 2000-2006 INTERREG III A ITALY-SLOVENIA Activity Program with the common objective of promoting and increasing the value of their marine environments through the creation of a trans-national network of underwater itineraries with differing degrees of difficulty that can be used by anyone, from the most expert scuba diver to the most novice of snorkellers.
Each of the three Municipalities above has chosen four underwater itineraries along its coastline on the basis of their natural beauty and/or archaeological interest The 12 leaflets (one for each route) in this set provide all the information necessary to make the dives in safety and contain a map with the respective route marked out, the points of greatest interest, technical data, and detailed description in addition to special features and background material.
So what are you still waiting for? Take a dive with us into the underwater world of Caorle, Grado, and Koper!
 
THE ADRIATIC SEA
The cities of Caorle, Grado and Koper lie on the Adriatic Sea along the Veneto-Friuli-Slovenian coast that takes the form of an enormous crescent broken only by river deltas and lido straights and ports.
Far from being the monotonous and perhaps even polluted place some people believe it to be, the Adriatic Sea also offers a submerged world ready to be discovered and explored, with areas that abound in species of particular beauty and value in habitats that are interesting from both the naturalistic and archaeological points of view. Amidst natural rock outcrops or the wreckage of ships and planes sunken centuries ago to the bottom of the sea, an amazing variety of fish, molluscs, algae, sponges and anemones dwells in silence waiting to be discovered.
The Adriatic can be considered a long semi-closed basin inside the central-eastern Mediterranean.
STATISTICS:
Length: 800 km from the Straits of Otranto to the Gulf of Venice;
Width: from 100 to 200 km between the Italian and the Balkan peninsulas;
Area: 138.000 km2;
Volume: 35.000 km3.
On the basis of its bathymetric features, the Adriatic can be divided in three basins of decreasing depth from south to north. The northern basin, divided from the central basin by a rather steep slope is characterised by beds that rise gently from a depth of 50 to 18 m in the Gulf of Trieste (with an average depth of 30-40 m).
UNDERSEA LIFE IN THE NORTHERN ADRIATIC
The high latitude and the influence of substantial continental land masses are responsible for the elevated temperature difference in the waters of the North Adriatic (more than 20°C difference between winter and summer in the coldest years).
These conditions combined with the large influx of waters coming from (Isonzo, Tagliamento, Livenza, Piave, Brenta, Adige and the Po) make the Northern Adriatic an entirely particular sea and play a vital role for the entire Mediterranean. The physical-morphological and oceanographic characteristics of the Northern Adriatic foster abundant populations of fish and benthonic macro-invertebrates of considerable importance for the fishing industry such as soft clams, hard clams, prawns and squillids. Sandy bottom populations feature the presence of benthonic species that have adapted to movable bottoms that present the offer little possibility of refuge and protection from predators, and for such reason have developed the ability to either live inside the sediment, hide quickly or escape when forced to move across the surface. These populations include bivalve molluscs like Chamelea gallina, Callista chione, Ensis minor, which are also important for the fishing industry, together with echinoderms like serpentine starfish or sea urchins (Spatangidi), Polychetes, Anthozoans or even different forms of decapod crustaceans.
The Northern Adriatic offers species that are fundamental for the fishing industry like sardine, anchovies, whiting, or less abundant but equally commercially important fish like dogfish (Palombo), white steenbrass, goatfish, sea bream and sea bass.
SUGGESTIONS FOR AN INTELLIGENT DIVE
* Never dive in less than perfect psychophysical condition and never dive alone.
• Wait three hours after your last meal before diving.
• Check the water temperature and wear adequate clothing.
• Indicate your presence by a floating red flag with a diagonal white stripe that can be seen from a 300 meter distance.
• Never swim more than 50 meters away from your signal flag.
• Respect the necessary times and procedures for ascent.
• Use a complete underwater breathing and safety system and always check it carefully before every use.
• Choose the level of difficulty of your dives on the basis of your experience and physical ability.
• Never dive below 30 meters without the company of experts.
• Move carefully underwater and avoid touching the substrata and living organisms in particular.
• Never take anything away from the sea bottom except manmade material like plastic, bottles or anything else abandoned in the sea by people less careful than you.
ROUTES
CAORLE
Caorle is one of the most famous and modern cities on the Veneto Adriatic Sea coast with a vast plain at its back that is surrounded by a dense network of canals and lagoons, rich in historical/culture interest and natural beauty and served by a thriving hospitality industry.
The dives described in detail in the leaflets enclosed (No. 1 to 4) begin with an exploration – accessible to anyone – of the area in front of “Madonnina Reef” right off the coast, an area of both naturalistic and archaeological interest. Starting with the unusual rocky outcrop at the deepest depth known as “Madonnina Rock” accessible by divers with and without scuba gear and conclude with an excursion to the “Port Falconera Underwater Park”, the Biological Protection Zone (BPZ) promoted by the Veneto Regional Council at the request of the Municipality of Caorle recently established by a special decree from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry that can be accessed only after first receiving a permit from the Designated Manager and in the company of a member of the Caorle Divers’ Club.
THE UNDERWATER WORLD OF CAORLE: THE TEGNÙE
The Caorle coast is characterised by sandy beds interrupted by countless outcrops of rock at depths of from 3 to over 18 meters (the so-called “tegnùe”), that resemble oases submerged in the sea as rich in biological diversity as the bottom of tropical seas. These “tegnùe”, solid natural substrata that characterise the Northern Adriatic, are many in number and unevenly distributed in the Gulf of Venice between Caorle and Chioggia. Varying considerably in shape, they may rise from the bed by only a few centimeters to more than 2–3 meters. Tegnùe are areas of elevated biodiversity that offer the ideal substrata for re-population because they are the ideal place for the deposit of eggs, egg cases, larvae and many other forms of reproduction that require a solid anchoring point; furthermore, the wealth and diversity of the food chain available and the countless hiding places both promote the development of juveniles and reduce the mortality rate and attract numerous species of economically valuable fish (sea bass, sea bream, croaker, conger eel, etc.) and benthonic species and fauna like the lobster, warty venus, and mussels, etc.
Le tegnùe are natural environments as precious as they are fragile, and took a long, long time to grow to their present size and acquire the biological diversity they have today. Their conservation and protection is a commitment that regards us all.
GRADO
From Caorle, our journey continues north along the coast towards Grado, a multihued town rich in history and ancient traditions, as demonstrated by its Old Town and numerous historical monuments between the Adriatic Sea and the Grado Lagoon. Tourists flock to Grado for its beaches (its most famous beach, Spiaggia Principale, completely faces the South) and its marine thermal spas. The Grado Lagoon is the most fascinating in the entire Adriatic basin, and offers a labyrinth of canals and tidal flats, the ideal habitat for dozens and dozens of migratory and non-migratory aquatic birds. The underwater itineraries proposed by the Municipality of Grado (Routes 5 to 8) are extremely interesting and permit visits to different types of area, each one distinguished by something different, from the Roman ruins to the beds of Neptune Grass in the Stones of S. Agata and S. Gottardo, to the beds of the Primero Protected Marine Zone (which can be visited only after first receiving municipal permission) to the S.Piero Grebeno to the wreck of the B24 Bomber from the Second World War.
THE UNDERWATER WORLD OF GRADO: NEPTUNE GRASS
Southwest of the Island of Grado near the archaeological ruins of S. Gottardo and S. Agata stands a small bed of Neptune Grass (Posidonia oceanica) that was once part of an enormous underwater grasslands that colonized the entire Gulf of Trieste.
Posidonia – the name comes from the Greek god Poseidon, is not an algae but a higher form of plant with roots, flowers and leaves. The roots grow into submerged terraces made of the sediment trapped by the leaves known as “mattes” that can even grow to several decimetres high. Neptune Grass can grow at depths of from 1 to 30-35 meters below the surface, and offers the ideal habitat for countless organisms. Bacteria are the first to colonise the grass, and are then followed by diatoms and algae, protozoa, hydrozoans, polyps and bryozoans. The habitat comes to be completed by numerous other species of animal and plant that find food and refuge inside.
Neptune grass is also important because it grows only in waters with certain chemical-physical characteristics without elevated suspended organic content or pollutants, and therefore its presence invariably signals “clean” water.
Threatened by pollution, the progressive construction of the coastline, drag nets, and anchors, this species is unfortunately becoming more and more rare.
KOPER
Once an island city, Koper is now the Slovenian coastline’s center of culture, training and economy. The historical city center with its architecture from different eras is a highly suggestive place rich in a Mediterranean spirit that also extends further inland in its olive groves and vineyards. The seas and the brackish wetlands of Val Stagnon on both sides of the city also abound in biodiversity in terms of species and habitats. On the sea bottom off the coast of Koper, numerous archaeological sites of historical and cultural significance have been identified to which the Municipal Administration has dedicated particular consideration. Thanks to the presence of these archaeological sites, the Municipality of Koper chose to participate in the TURSUB Project in partnership with the Municipalities of Caorle and Grado with the objective of promoting and increasing the value of these hidden treasures submerged in the Slovenian seas, which also conceal a remarkable biological diversity and archaeological wealth despite their limited extent.
The four underwater routes in Koper (from No. 9 to 12) offer the possibility to observe archaeological remains from different eras close up, from the Military landing ship DTM “Kec” to the Stojan ship, the famous ocean liner, the “Rex”, and a well conserved fish farm from Roman times in Valle San Bartolomeo near Ancarano.
THE UNDERWATER WORLD OF KOPER: THE STOJAN WRECK
One of the routes proposed by the Municipality of Koper goes to a wreck on the bottom of the Gulf of Koper, the Stojan ship, a trading vessel from the second half of the 19th century or the beginning of the 20th century lies at a depth of 26 m below the surface..
The wreck is oriented along the east-west axis, 34 m long, and 8 m wide. The ship’s equipment is still preserved and includes a winch, hoists, and wooden cord tightening hooks. Numerous species of fish and lobsters now make the inside of the wreck their home.
The dimensions and constructive details of the wreck suggest that it was a bark, a big trading ship with sails used for both passengers and commodities.
Barks were common in the northern and eastern Adriatic, and the leading shipyards were located in Trieste and Rijeka.
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CaorleVacanze : Italiano | German | English - Mappa del sito / SiteMap
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Consorzio di Promozione Turistica Caorle e Venezia Orientale,
Viale Santa Margherita 119/C,
30021 Caorle (VE),
C.F./P.I.: 04038190270
Iscritta al Registro Imprese di Ve
REA 0359876
tel.+39 333 1926142
fax +39 0421 218399
Webmaster & design by : Francesco Gallo
Foto : Carlo & Francesco
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