THE CAVALLINO TREPORTI “TEGNUE”

An enchanted marine environment, marked by an extraordinary wealth of fish species, crustaceans, molluscs and invertebrates. A real ‘underwater oasis of biodiversity’, a paradise for diving fans that fully respects nature. All this is just a few miles from the coastline off the shore of Cavallino-Treporti. These are the “tegnùe”, a rich area of natural rocky outcrops that are very different from the typical muddy or sandy seabed of the Upper Adriatic. The “tegnùe” are true natural reefs that formed over the last 4,000 years from red calcareous algae called corallinacea, because it resembles the coral that built the Caribbean coral reef. The “tegnùe” are between 15 and 40 metres deep and vary in size: from small isolated masses to rocky formations that stretch for hundreds of metres.  

The presence of these extraordinary submerged rocks was discovered several centuries ago. The first local fishermen who ventured out to these areas packed with fish noticed that their nets ‘mysteriously’ disappeared and then returned from the seabed badly damaged. This gave them the name “tegnùe”, which in Venetian dialect means “trattenute” (or ‘held back’), due to their ability to hold and rip the nets. Soon the fishermen developed routes away from this area and the ecosystem of the “tegnùe” was preserved over the centuries. The many cavities and rocky gorges have allowed a complex and varied habitat to develop, with a natural wealth of rare and fauna to protect. This includes numerous species of starfish, which can grow up to 30 centimetres, and sponges like the ‘hermit crab sponge’, which grows on the shell of the famous gastropod.

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