The Monk Seal has returned to the sea of Lampedusa.
An increasingly rare event in recent years since this mammal, which in the past was widespread in the Mediterranean, had almost become extinct in our waters since the 1960s.
But the "Calf of the sea" (as it was called in the past), or "Vòio marinu" ("Bue marino") as the Lampedusans still call it today, has an ancient link with the island.
In 1832 the botanist Giovanni Gussone reported that in Lampedusa "sea calves stay there in some caves on the coast." in the caves located in the eastern part ".
In addition to being the "home" of the caretta caretta turtles, which nest on the beaches of the Pelagie every year, in this sea it is often possible to admire dolphins and, in some periods, even the passage of whales.
Now the sighting of the Monk Seal.
"This is an exceptional event - says the mayor of Lampedusa and Linosa Totò Martello - which, while it excites us, at the same time confirms that our island and our sea continue to be a marvel of nature".
