Ionian Sea at a glance
- 2,122 maverage depth
- 2,311 mmedian depth
- 5,139 mmaximum depth
- 169,759 km²water area
Ionian Sea is a sea. Inside its outline the GEBCO grid has about 169,759 km² of water, with an average depth of about 2,122 m (the middle value is 2,311 m) and a maximum of 5,139 m, found at 36.56° N, 21.09° E.
Open the map at the deepest cell and tap to read the depth.
How deep is each part of the Ionian Sea?
The bar splits the Ionian Sea's water by depth. Each colour is a depth band, and the shares add up to 100%.
- 0 to 200 m: 8.7%
- 200 to 1,000 m: 13.6%
- 1,000 to 4,000 m: 76.9%
- 4,000 to 6,000 m: 0.8%
- below 6,000 m: 0%
Named features near the deepest point: Calypso Deep (4 km), Glabro (613 km), Palinuro Seamount (638 km), Marsili (661 km).
The Ionian Sea if sea level dropped
The slider on the map lowers the sea in steps. This table shows how much of the Ionian Sea's water would be land at each step.
| Sea level lowered by | Becomes land | Share of its water |
|---|---|---|
| 10 m | 1,104 km² | 0.7% |
| 20 m | 2,276 km² | 1.3% |
| 50 m | 5,287 km² | 3.1% |
| 80 m | 8,255 km² | 4.9% |
| 120 m | 11,167 km² | 6.6% |
| 200 m | 14,788 km² | 8.7% |
| 500 m | 23,063 km² | 13.6% |
| 1,000 m | 37,885 km² | 22.3% |
| 2,000 m | 75,135 km² | 44.3% |
| 3,000 m | 113,984 km² | 67.1% |
| 4,000 m | 168,469 km² | 99.2% |
| 6,000 m | 169,759 km² | 100% |
A simple bathtub model: it lowers the sea everywhere by the same amount and does not simulate how water would really drain.
Nearby seas
- Adriatic Sea average depth about 257 m
- Sea of Crete average depth about 696 m
- Aegean Sea average depth about 306 m
- Tyrrhenian Sea average depth about 1,596 m
- Sea of Marmara average depth about 319 m
- Ligurian Sea average depth about 1,194 m
Nearest by the centre of each outline. All oceans and seas
Frequently asked questions
How deep is the Ionian Sea?
On average about 2,122 m in the GEBCO grid (the middle value is 2,311 m). The deepest cell inside its outline is 5,139 m, at 36.56° N, 21.09° E.
How big is the Ionian Sea?
About 169,759 km² of water inside its Natural Earth outline, counted from the grid cells that are below sea level.
How much of the Ionian Sea would be land if sea level dropped?
With the sea 20 m lower, about 2,276 km² (1.3%) of its water would be land. At 6,000 m lower, 100% would be. This is a simple bathtub model that lowers the sea evenly everywhere.
Data: depths from the GEBCO_2026 grid, statistics worked out inside the Natural Earth outline of the sea. See data sources and licences. The GEBCO Grid should NOT be used for navigation or for any other purpose involving safety at sea.