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Pantelleria is an Italian island and comune in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, 100 km southwest of Sicily and 60 km east of the Tunisian coast. On clear days Tunisia is visible from the island. Administratively Pantelleria’s comune belongs to the Sicilian province of Trapani. pantelleria perla nera mediterranea
Vista panoramica dal mare – panoramic view from sea – intotheblue.it
With an area of 83 km2 Pantelleria is the largest volcanic satellite island of Sicily. The last eruption occurred below sea level in 1891, and today phenomena related to volcanic activity can be observed, such as hot springs and fumaroles. The highest peak, the Montagna Grande, reaches 836 m above sea level. The islanders speak Pantesco, a dialect of Sicilian influenced by Arabic.
Lago Specchio di Venere – Venus “mirror” lake – intotheblue.it
On 10 September 2021 a violent tornado coming from the sea struck in the Campobello area at a speed of over 100 km per hour. There were two deaths and 9 injuries, some of them in serious condition. The force of the wind overwhelmed the homes and vehicles that were passing through the area, throwing passengers out of the cockpit. An apocalyptic scene that put rescuers to the test. On the island there are no memories of such devastating catastrophic events; we would like to add that climate change is certainly the cause of such serious episodes. The images you are seeing in this video were made in the afternoon of the next day when, after having cleared the rubble from the area, access was allowed to the area.
Danni causati dalla tromba d’aria del 10 settembre 2021 – Damage caused by the tornado of 10 September 2021 – intotheblue.it
The island of Pantelleria is located above a drowned continental rift in the Strait of Sicily and has been the focus of intensive volcano-tectonic activity. The 15 kilometre-long island is the emergent summit of a largely submarine edifice. Two large Pleistocene calderas dominate the island, the older of the two formed about 114,000 years ago and the younger Cinque Denti caldera formed about 45,000 years ago.
Vulcanesimo secondario – Secondary volcanism – intotheblue.it
The eruption that formed the Cinque Denti caldera produced the distinctive green tuff deposit that covers much of the island, and is found across the Mediterranean, as far away as the island of Lesbos in the Aegean. Holocene eruptions have constructed pumice cones, lava domes, and short, blocky lava flows. pantelleria perla nera mediterranea
Sorgente vulcanica sottomarina – Underwater volcanic spring – intotheblue.it
Later activity constructed the cone of Monte Gibele, part of which was subsequently uplifted to form Montagna Grande. Several vents are located on three sides of the uplifted Montagna Grande block on the southeast side of the island. A submarine eruption in 1891 from a vent off the northwest coast is the only confirmed historical activity.
Il maschio del Pesce Pappagallo mediterraneo – Male Mediterranean parrotfish – Sparisoma cretense – intotheblue.it
Currently the island is subsiding, and Montagna Grande is slowly sinking. This is thought to be caused by the magma beneath the volcano cooling and degassing. There are numerous hot springs and fumaroles on the island due to an active hydrothermal system. Favara Grande, in the south east of the island, is one of the best examples.
Lepre di mare dagli Anelli – Aplysia dactylomela – Spotted sea Hare – intotheblue.it
Pantelleria National Park (Italian: Parco Nazionale dell’Isola di Pantelleria) was established in 2016, and covers an area of 66.4 km2, or 80% of the island. Specchio di Venere (literally “Venus’ mirror”) is a natural lake formed in an extinct vulcanic crater, and fed by rain and hot springs. The lake is 12 m deep and is popular for swimming, hot springs, and mud bathing. Other natural attractions are paths to the sea, a large network of trekking paths, hot springs, and a popular natural sauna fed by vapours filtering through rocks in a small cave. Also situated on the Island is Laghetto delle Ondine (“Pond of the ripples” or “Pond of the wavelets”) a seawater lake which has developed into a very desired swimming hole.
