Watch: “Butterflies Do Exist Underwater!”- Malta’s Waters Hide A Rare Surprise
A tiny “sea butterfly” made a splashy debut in Maltese waters and we’re all here for it!
Local divers Anna Degiorgio and Andrew Zammit captured a short video of this miniature marvel and passed it to marine biologist Alan Deidun, who quickly identified the little flapper as a likely Cavolina sp.— a floating sea snail from the dreamy world of pteropods.
Why “sea butterfly”? Because it looks like it’s swimming with tiny wings! Those “wings” are actually parapodia- flat lobes extending from between its shell halves and the fine hairs on them (called cilia) help pull food particles toward the creature.
View this post on Instagram
These flutter‑snails don’t hang around every day in our Mediterranean waters- they’re considered relatively rare, especially since they prefer low‑nutrient environments.
Spotted, filmed, and now shared with all of us: it’s a reminder that even the tiniest sea creatures can cast a big underwater spell.
Have you ever come across a sea butterfly during a dive?
Credit: @marinebiologymalta via Instagram
READ NEXT: Silvio Schembri Highlights Malta’s Innovation And Regulatory Leadership At SiGMA 2025
