Tiny Bubbles

Island of Vulcano, Sicily---This place is boiling! Everywhere; bubbles in mud puddles on the ground, sulphur smoke pouring out of vents along stone fences, in the ocean…reminding you that all in not dormant underground.

A swim with my camera records what I see in my morning swims. A mixture of the smelly “fumaroles”, venting of steam, sulphur and carbon dioxide at high temperature that bubble up from underground. The mud pit is close to our anchorage and strangely, I am getting used to the smell…but that still doesn’t mean I like it! The closer you swim toward the pit, the more the water is stirred with bubbles and sea residue, becoming almost impossible to see when you are several feet from that beach area.

The only weird thing is when I dive from the boat, my silver ring is well, silver. When I return the sulphur has tarnished it to a purple black pewter color.

All in all, everything about this place is a reminder that the Volcano is still active.