Rossana Maiorca- The Life And Death Of Enzo Maiorca’s Daughter

Rossana Maiorca was an Italian record-breaking freediver and the daughter of another freediver, Enzo Maiorca who died at 85 in 2016
She became an ocean hero when she saved a pregnant dolphin
The Sicilian lived 45 years from 1960 to 2005 when she died of cancer and her statue “Marmaid of Sicily” was erected

Inasmuch as the native of Sicily, Rossana Maiorca “Majorca” may have been born to Enzo Maiorca, one of the greatest freedivers, she equally created in herself a woman who could not get tired of breaking records as a freediver.

She exposed herself to the sport and became one of the most influential women in freediving. Even after she died in 2005, her name has refused to go into extinction. She made records such as the 1996 record of 125 m covered in dynamic apnea in Italy and a -55 m in constant weight in Syracuse in 1990.

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Personal Profile

Full name: Rossana Maiorca
Date of birth: 23 February 1960-6 January 2005
Age: 45 years old
Parents: Enzo Maiorca
Siblings: Patrizia Maiorca
Nationality: Italian
Ethnicity: Sicilian
Marital Status: Single
Career: Former Freediver

She Hails from a Family of Freedivers

Rossana was born in 1960s to Enzo Maiorca. He had already deepened himself in freediving at the time.

Although there is no certainty about her mother, her father was married to Maria Gibiino.

Regardless, her family became the center of an experiment. Some studies wanted to find out the psychological parameters of the Maiorca during training and records.

Also, another Research in Special Environment of the University of Buffalo, in the United States was carried out and 2 publications emerged – Ferretti G, M Costa, M Ferrigno, B Grassi, C Marconi, CEG Lundgren, et P Cerretelli Alveolar Gas Composition and Exchange During Deep Breath-hold Diving and Dry Breath-holds in Elite Divers and another on Electrocardiogram During Deep Breath-hold Dives by Elite Divers.

Her Sister is a Freediver and a Sea Protector

Patrizia Maiorca is the sister of Rosanne and also a former freediver. She became the president of the Plemmirio Marine Protected Area. Her works include supporting the cause of the protection of water and its beings.

The Father of Rossana Maiorca is a Record Breaker Who Inspired a Number of Artworks

Enzo Maiorca was born in Syracuse, Italy on June 21, 1931, and would grow up to become one of the world’s most accomplished breath-hold diving in history.

At 4, he learned how to swim but it took him to reach 25 to be convinced to try to break a record after his friend showed him an article about a depth record set by Ennio Falco and Alberto Novelli.

He nonetheless did not break that record until he reached 29 when he went 45 meters into the depth of the water. He stole the title from a Brazillian, Americo Santarelli who would in turn counter the record with a 46-meter depth.

In 1988, her father made a record of 101 meters in the sport.

He also won awards, including:

Gold Medal of the President of the Republic (1964) for athletic prowess
Gold Medal of Merit Marina (for the sports and defense of the environment, 2006)
He was the first man to the threshold of 100 meters deep in apnea

In addition, Rosanna’s father’s mark could not have let him go without the notice of people. This would contribute to why his rivalry with another diver, Jacques Mayol which inspired The Big Blue film that was released in 1988.

Similarly, he was mentioned in a song, The Ballad of Cimono by Davide Van de Sfross.

Away from this, her father became an elected senator for the Alleanza Nazionale party.

Rossana Maiorca Helped in Rescuing a Pregnant Dolphin

Her father told her that he felt something slightly hit his back and realized that it was a dolphin. He would also be exposed to the needs of the dolphin after he accompanied the animal to where a female species was trapped in a net.

Rossana got the diving knife to help take the female dolphin out. The father and daughter took the animal to the top of the water to give her care. They would realize that she was pregnant.

According to reports, the dolphin would kiss her father goodbye after they had saved it.

How She Died, was Dubbed the Marmaid of Sicily, and Her Statue was Made

After she placed herself in the league of names to reckon with as far as holding her breath in swimming is concerned, the former diver died on January 6, 2005, at the age of 45.

Her death which met her in Mestre, Venice, Italy is related to the complications of cancer.

After her death, her contribution to the environment, especially through the water would make her be remembered. This is evident in the golden statue (named Marmaid of Sicily) of Rossana Maiorca, created by sculptor Pietro Marchese in 2008 in Gli Archi.

At 85 on 13 November 2016, about 11 years following the death of the younger Maiora, her father also died.