Graham Island (Mediterranean Sea)

Graham Island or Isola Ferdinandea (also Graham Bank, Graham Shoal, French: Île Julia) was an island in the Mediterranean Sea near Sicily that has, on more than one occasion, risen above the surface of the Mediterranean via volcanic action and soon thereafter been washed away. Since 300 BC this cycle of events has occurred four times. The island was part of the submarine volcano Empedocles, 30 km (19 mi) south of Sicily, which is one of a number of underwater volcanoes known as the Campi Flegrei del Mar di Sicilia.

Seamount eruptions have raised the island above sea level several times before erosion submerged it again. The island's most recent "appearance" occurred in July 1831, but then by January 1832 the portion of the island above sea level had been entirely washed away again by the wind and the waves of the Mediterranean Sea. During the brief six-month lifespan of the island, a four-way dispute over the island's sovereignty arose, which was still unresolved when the island again disappeared beneath the waves.

The island is still referenced on marine charts, as its top is only 6 metres (20 feet) short of breaking the surface, it thus becomes a potentially dangerous hidden obstacle for many seafaring vessels whose keels most often run deeper than this. It is also a small shoal on which near-surface maritime creatures dwell.