When compared too the oceans of the world, the Mediterranean Sea isn’t known for producing large surf. It simply lacks the space and consistent weather patterns needed for significant wave generation.
However, surfing is possible in places like Italy, though conditions are often fickle.
occasionally, Italy experiences substantial, even dangerous, surf.The following clip, filmed in Scilla, on Italy’s southwest coast (facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, not the Mediterranean), shows two drivers nearly washed off the road by a massive wave crashing onto a coastal motorway. See below.
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♬ Hoist The Colours – Bass Singers Version – The Wellermen & Bobby Bass & Eric Hollaway
The footage, taken on January 10th, shows a powerful wave blocking a tunnel between Scilla and the nearby town of Chianalea, resembling a scene from a fantasy epic – a true “You shall not pass!” moment.
Local news reports confirm no motorists were injured, though they likely experienced a frightening ordeal. The footage above provides an overview, while the clip below offers a terrifying point-of-view viewpoint from the car in front, nearly engulfed by the rogue wave.
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Interestingly, Scilla’s name originates from a sea monster featured in Homer’s the Odyssey. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica:
“Scylla was a supernatural female creature, with 12 feet and six heads on long snaky necks, each head having a triple row of sharklike teeth, while her loins were girdled by the heads of baying dogs.From her lair in a cave she devoured whatever ventured within reach,including six of Odysseus’s companions.”
So,it seems Italy does get waves – and sometimes,truly terrifying ones.
Related: Rare Swell Sends Large, Pumping Surf to Sardinia (Video)
related: Three Unexpected Places You Can Surf On The Mediterranean This Winter
