Diomedea or Berta maggiore is an elegant albatross that the sea of ​​Molise has the good fortune to host. Often seen in the company of noisy seagulls when fish emerge abundantly on the surface of the sea. This is how I meet her as she flies over a bank of anchovies chased by other predatory fish: lanzards, skipjack and grave grab looking for food. The light of early morning highlights its marvellous compact and shiny plumage, the paws gathered in the tail, the dark and alive eyes let you fantasize about the “vastness” flown by this incredible bird. Diomedea is always in search for food, represented by the small fish and shellfish. The nesting takes place on islands such as Tremiti, Sardinia and Linosa. During the winter the bird proceeds with a very long migration to the southern Atlantic.

What I like very much is the verse of the diomedea, similar to the human voice, as of a child. Nesting colonies, heard from afar, can give the impression of a crowd of children or humans crying. The legend wants that they represent the faithful companions of the hero Diomedes whom Aphrodite transformed into birds so that they could watch over the tomb and mourn the death of the great hero. This detail fits perfectly with the legend for which Diomede was the founder of the Tremiti Islands and who died in this archipelago. A tomb of the Hellenic era still called the Tomb of Diomedes is visible between the rocks of San Nicola in the Tremiti archipelago. The Greek hero is indeed a true star in this south-eastern part of Italy. He is credited with the foundation of numerous important cities, including Vasto, Andria, Brindisi, San Severo, Venafro, Venosa…. A boat trip starting from one of the Molisani ports can give us, just after a few miles of navigation, the encounter with this Elegant, Mythological Volatile.