Famous for being the smallest and also the most exclusive and cosmopolitan of the Aeolian Islands, Panarea returns to the spotlight with a truly noteworthy bit of news: the island’s crystal-clear waters cradle a new hidden treasure, found about a mile from its shores. It is here, in fact, that a team of researchers uncovered a large undersea crater and a new area characterized by active hydrothermal chimneys, a finding that broadens knowledge of the underwater volcanic system of the archipelago.
The discovery, the fruit of a study coordinated by the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) together with the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, could therefore change the understanding of volcanic activity in the area and opennew perspectives for scientific research and seabed monitoring.
The enormous underwater crater off Panarea
The new system was identified about 1.5 kilometers northeast of Panarea, at depths between 60 and 80 meters. The centerpiece of the discovery is an underwater crater measuring roughly 100 meters by 60, accompanied by numerous hydrothermal chimneys of hydrothermal origin that had never been documented before.
The investigation began thanks to Multibeam surveys conducted within the IDMAR project (Multidisciplinary Infrastructure Distributed on the MARe), which highlighted distinctive features on the seabed. To verify their nature, in July 2026 the researchers employed a ROV (Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle), a subsea robot controlled from the surface, which confirmed the presence of intense degassing and the existence of new hydrothermal sources. According to the scientists, this new area suggests the Panarea hydrothermal system is far more extensive than previously known.
Why the discovery is important for the Aeolian Islands
The discovery adds an additional element of charm to an island already famous for its breathtaking panoramas, bays with transparent waters, and landscapes shaped by volcanic origins. Panarea, together with the other islands of the archipelago, represents one of the Mediterranean’s most intriguing places for observing the relationship between nature, sea, and geological activity.
The images collected by the underwater robot showed gas emissions diffused along the crater walls and in its deeper portions, as well as intense activity of the new hydrothermal chimneys. The structures identified have features similar to those of the well-known area Smoking Land, discovered in 2015 near the Basiluzzo islet.
Beyond the geological aspects, the mission also yielded the first insights into the biological communities that inhabit these extreme environments, opening new possibilities for studying the Aeolian marine ecosystems. For visitors to Panarea, this discovery adds another jewel to the island’s spell: a place where the landscape extends beyond the surface, continuing beneath the sea and telling a millennial story forged by volcanoes, natural transformations, and biodiversity. For researchers, the find marks a fundamental step toward a better understanding of the Panarea volcanic complex, updating monitoring scenarios and deepening the link between hydrothermal activity and marine biodiversity in one of the Mediterranean’s still-most mysterious stretches.
