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The strait has strong tidal currents that create aunique marine ecosystem.[2] The rock in the town ofScilla, Calabria at the north of the strait and a naturalwhirlpool in the northern portion of the strait have been linked to the Greek legend ofScylla andCharybdis.[3] In some circumstances, the mirage ofFata Morgana can be observed when looking at Sicily from Calabria. With its bottleneck shape, it is also a compulsory point of transit in themigration of manybird species.
In 1957, a 220 kVoverhead power line was built across the Strait of Messina. Itspylons are among the highest in the world. This power line has since been replaced by asubmarine power cable, but the pylons remain and are protected as historical monuments (seePylons of Messina).
On July 10, 2024,Estonian athlete Jaan Roose crossed the Strait of Messina on aslackline spanned between the two Messina pylons. He surpassed the previous longest slackline walk of 2,710 meters and completed a distance of 3,600 meters.[4]
The Strait of Messina is a focal point in themigrations of birds every year, who mainly cross the strait to reach their breeding grounds in northern Europe. Due to this form of bottleneck more than 3mamtors]], with a record of 35,000 in one spring.[5]
Due to its unique hydrogeological conditions[further explanation needed] the Strait of Messina has high levels of biodiversity and multipleendemic species. In its waters there is a strong presence ofdeep sea fish like theSloane's viperfish which, due to the particular and peculiar currents of the strait, are occasionally found stranded on the shore at sunrise. The strait is also an important point ofmigration of many species of fish in theMediterranean Sea.
The Strait of Messina and the Messina panorama as viewed from the ferry
A ferry service connectsMessina on Sicily with the mainland atVilla San Giovanni, which lies several kilometers north of the large city ofReggio Calabria; the ferries hold the cars (carriages) of the mainline train service between Palermo and Naples. There is also ahydrofoil service between Messina and Reggio Calabria.
For decades, the possibility of building a bridge across the Messina Strait has been under discussion. In 2006, under Prime MinisterRomano Prodi the project was cancelled.[6] On 6 March 2009, however, as part of a massive new public works program,Silvio Berlusconi's government announced that plans to construct theStrait of Messina Bridge had been fully revived, pledging €1.3 billion as a contribution to its estimated cost of €6.1 billion[7] Some 3.3 km long and 60 m wide, the bridge would be supported by two 382 m pillars, each higher than theEmpire State Building, and accommodate six freeway lanes, a railway (for up to 200 trains a day), and two walkways.
Supporters perceive the bridge as an opportunity for job creation and potential for an increase in tourism to the island. Opponents see it as an ecological disaster, a structure at risk due to especially strong winds and earthquakes (the area having an intense seismic record), and a potential increase in Sicilian and Calabrian organized crime. Berlusconi claimed in 2009 that work would be completed by 2016 although in February 2013, the project was cancelled again.[8]
Italian prime ministerGiorgia Meloni revived the project with a decree in 2022. The government gave it final approval in August of 2025. Construction is set to start in 2025 and to be completed by 2032.[9][10] Opponents of the project cited an estimate that of the 4.3 million birds that fly through the strait annually, 17–46% risked colliding with the proposed bridge.[11]
The strait seen from the hill of "Pentimele", near Reggio Calabria. In the distance at right is the snow-covered volcanoMount Etna.
