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The Mystery of

the Katavóthres Channel

Why is the seawater sucked into the swallow holes on the Lassí peninsula, and how does it find its way across the island into the Melissáni lake and out into the sea at Karavómylos?

In 1963 Austrian geologists poured 140 Kilos of green dye into the water at the Katavóthres. Two days later it turned up in the Melissáni lake and in the sea at Karavómylos, right over the other side of Kefaloniá, near Sámi!

The seawater enters the swallow holes and runs eastwards down sloping limestone beds which run right under the mountains. The channel was created by fresh water during the Ice Age, as the sea level was lower then. Rain falls onto the mountains and steadily filters down where it flows into the underground sea water stream from the swallow holes and consequently picks up speed. Thsi extra volume and speed results in a suction efect which tugs at the sea back at the swallow holes' entrance. The channel widens as it approaches the Gulf of Sámi and the mixed, brackish, water comes up at the Melissáni lake, as well as going out to sea into the Gulf at Karavómylos.

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