Saturday 31 Oct 2026
Monica Montefalcone, a marine biology professor at the University of Genoa and her daughter, Giorgia Sommacal, who died in a diving expedition in the Maldives.
The ashes of Italian marine biologist Monica Montefalcone and her daughter, Giorgia Somacal, who tragically died last May while diving in a cave in Vaavu Atoll, Maldives, have been scattered in the sea they loved the most.
According to Italian newspaper L'Unione Sarda, the ashes were scattered yesterday morning in the waters of Capo Mannu, a place where the mother and daughter regularly spent their holidays and to which they had a deep, lifelong attachment. It was reported that their greatest wish was to remain forever in the depths of that sea.
The mother-daughter duo was accompanied to their final resting place by family members and close friends.
The family said they had to wait some time to obtain the necessary permits to scatter the ashes at sea, in accordance with local regulations.
Carlo Somacal, Monical’s husband, said that the mother and daughter would now rest eternally in the embrace of the sea they loved. Gianni Luzzu, a close family friend, described the journey as a quiet and deeply moving occasion, likening it to a second, poignant funeral service.
