Cetacean Sanctuary Research 20 (27 September – 26 October)

End of the 2010 field research season

The 2010 season in the waters of the Ligurian Sea and Pelagos Sanctuary has been impressive: 13000 km travelled at sea, totalling 905 h of navigation and 297 cetacean sightings: 210 of striped dolphins, 44 of fin whales, 32 of sperm whales, 5 of Risso’s dolphins, 4 of beaked whales and two of long-finned pilot whales. How many animals? Who knows, we are still trying to figure it out. And then sea turtles, ocean sunfish, tuna, swordfish, seabirds.

But out at sea there were not only dolphins, whales and all sort of other animals. There were people too. Participants from around the world joined the researchers on Pelagos, willing to see animals, enjoy them, contribute to their protection and being a part of our endeavors. How can we forget the volunteers crying while looking at the small striped dolphins bowriding in front of them, turning on their sides and glancing at them as if they were truly feeling a bond with the people on board. The agile and gigantic, confident and majestic sperm whales resting at the surface, dominating the resounding waves. How can we forget those who remained breathless and speechless in front of a fin whale blowing, just a few metres from our boat.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm”. It is always a pleasure to work with happy and enthusiastic people, curious and interested, able to spread their passion and excitement. Many thanks to all of you!

Nino, Eva, Chiara and Sabina (CSR team members)

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This week was fantastic, I’ve learned so much about all kinds of animals. I would recommend this trip to anyone but I would say to book two weeks because by the time the first week is over you have just settled in and found where everything goes. Thank you to all the crew for making this trip memorable.

Ruth (UK)

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A stellar expedition that exceeded my expectations in many ways: from the delicious meals, to the informative conversations and lectures, the opportunity to have been a participant in these research activities has been an experience of a lifetime. Thanks for a great week of superlatives Tethys!

Julieanne (Canada)

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This week was one of the most spectacular times we have ever had. The wonderful nature, the giant animals, the life on board and the patience and kindness of the researchers are only a few points that made this time so fantastic for us. We learnt a lot about the animals in the Mediterranean Sea and when we come so close to them, we felt the beauty and the uniqueness of these wonderful animals. It is a great pleasure to find people, who watch and protect them from human foolishness and unawareness. Thank you to all of the researchers of Tethys. All of you do a very great job and we are glad to know you. We will come back again!

Heimo, Sabine and Angela (Germany)

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I have had such a brilliant time onboard Pelagos!  Seeing so many dolphins and whales was amazing, especially seeing the Risso’s dolphins! I have learnt so much and definitely have a greater appreciation for conserving the marine environment, I won’t eat tuna that has been fished using unsustainable methods again! Everyone has been so kind and welcoming and the food has been yummy! I definitely want to come back again next year!

Abbie (UK)

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I expected it to be good but it was so much better than good in so many different ways. Some moments of pure unadulterated joy that will last me forever. Thank you.

Judith (UK)

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It was a really fantastic week. It was much better than we had expected. The weather was very good. The boat was nice. We had a lot of fun and we got a very good impression of the researchers’ work. They are really professional and very passionate in their work. And in addition to that they are so polite, helpful, friendly and wonderful people. They managed to do their research and involve the participants into their work at the same time. And still, there was always time for explanation and fun! We would like to come again. Thank you and stay as you are!

Christoph and Claudia (Germany)

Dolphins of Greece 18 (2-9 October 2010)

I have had a wonderful week, seeing so many different dolphin behaviours and many sea birds including flamingos, cormorants and terns. Marina and Joe have made it special with their enthusiasm and anecdotes of a broad range of experiences in the field. I shall return to work refreshed and with an enhanced understanding of the importance of dolphins in their ecosystem.

Kate (UK)

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It was an amazing week from several points of view – to meet so different and interesting people and to work together in such a wonderful project. I learned a lot about the dolphins, their life and behaviour, about the sea – how big, how great and at the same time how unprotected it is. When you learn something new, that really touches your mind, you start to think in a different way and consequently you change your deeds. Moreover, you try to share this experience with the other people and hopefully can make the surrounding world a little bit better. I also hope that the data we have managed to collect will be helpful for the further scientific work. This week in Vonitsa impressed me a lot and I would like to say thank you very much to Marina and Joe and all the people from our Team.

Eugenia (Russia)

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Thanks to the weather, to a great team, to the dolphins and to Greece. It was a wonderful time and experience I have got. I do not think I would be able to get such an experience anywhere else and I hope I made a tiny contribution to the process of improvement of the environment. Let’s hope that the next teams and generations see how beautiful it is. Dolphins are wonderful creatures and have their right to survive as all the rest creatures in the world. The project was organised on very high professional level, exactly what was required for the effective work and team building exercise. My personal gratitude to Marina and Joe, for their professionalism and kind attention to the team, they were able to create the right atmosphere to give the feeling to every member of the importance of their contribution. The whole team was excellent, and everyone had a chance to use his or her knowledge and experience. I learned a lot, I hope to continue to cooperate with Earthwatch institute to take part in future projects. I wish all the best and every success to Tethys in their difficult and generous task. Thanks again and all the best!

Sergey (Kazakhstan)

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Our week in Vonitsa has been amazing. Marina’s enthusiasm for her subject (botany excluded?) and life in general made all the week a joy, not just the dolphin recording and watching. Flamingos, seagulls, schools of small fish boiling the sea waters, exploring islands and local community living, all added to the experience in which watching dolphins bow-riding was the highlight. Joe’s helpful, good-humour and interest in the work encouraged us. He and Marina worked (worked well together to make up the whole brilliant team) with an interesting group of fellow volunteers. Thank you to all who made the week possible.

Judith and George (UK)

Monk seal # 2

Second encounter with a monk seal in the Gulf of Evia. This animal, who was different from the one sighted yesterday (see previous post), was observed for an hour engaging in food search in a murky bay, not far from an industrial plant. She performed dives approximately 4-6 min long followed by about 30 sec of ventilations. During those 30 sec spent at the surface we could watch the seal in all her beauty while she was elegantly swimming, staring at us from time to time (photo). While she did not seem exceedingly wary of the boat, she never came closer than 30-50 m. This is a wise behaviour, considering that monk seals in the coastal waters of Greece are still sometimes seen as vermin, and shot.

Giovanni Bearzi

Monk seal lunch

Our first day of work in the Gulf of Evia did not have dolphins to offer, but an amazing and unexpected encounter with a monk seal who was having lunch at the surface. The seal had a large octopus in his mouth and he was forcefully and repeatedly shaking it with the head out of the water, producing splashes that could be seen from far away. We speculated he intended to kill the octopus before eating it. We approached at slow speed up to about 50 m to observe this unusual behaviour, and the monk seal did not appear disturbed. He finished his lunch, gazed at us, then moved away. We managed to capture some phases of the octopus lunch, but most photos were blurry due to the distance, except for the one shown here, which even when magnified was sharp enough to capture the fierce look of this large and critically endangered marine mammal.

Giovanni Bearzi

A new dolphin investigation begins

We started a new investigation in the Northern Gulf of Evia (click on image to zoom out).

After having spent a part of the summer dealing with all the logistical aspects, Silvia and I finally moved to a convenient location in the central part of the Gulf. We set up a new field station and managed to get appropriate mooring facilities. We are now ready for work at sea.

OceanCare kindly provided funding to start this new enterprise, and lent a new 100HP engine. Work in the Gulf—done in the context of a collaboration between Tethys and OceanCare—should be conducted between autumn 2010 and spring 2011. Depending on the results, we will decide how the project may unfold in future years.

Some information on dolphins in the Northern and Southern Gulfs of Evia was produced in 2003 by researchers Zafiropoulos and Merlini (*), who reported a high density of bottlenose dolphins in the Northern Gulf. Since then, however, no systematic research was conducted.

Our new study intends to complement the existing information and if possible contribute a preliminary estimate of dolphin abundance, as well as information about status and threats, which may support management action.

The work is also intended to provide insight on dolphin ecology and behaviour in different habitats. It is an exciting opportunity to get to know more about dolphins living in the coastal waters of Greece and allow for comparisons among areas exposed to a variety of human impacts, based on work that is now being conducted in four study areas (the other three being the Amvrakikos Gulf, the Inner Ionian Sea archipelago and the Gulf of Corinth).

To know more about the research done in the context of Coastal Dolphins Greece, please visit:

www.coastaldolphins.org

Giovanni Bearzi and Silvia Bonizzoni

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(*) Zafiropoulos D., Merlini L. 2003. A comparative ecological study of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in South and North Evoikos Gulfs. 8th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, Lemnos island, Greece.

Bug bite

I set out at the beginning of this experience with the aim of broadening my understanding of cetaceans and hoped to use it to gain more of an insight into the field of Cetology. I’ve always held a deep fascination for the sea and all its inhabitants. So, when I was lucky enough to be offered this opportunity to get to know it a little bit better, I was really thrilled.

After almost 8 months of waiting for the time to depart on this journey, I arrived in Vonitsa, like a sponge, ready to absorb as much as I could. I will be the first to admit that I might have glamorized the whole concept of studying dolphins in my head, during the last 8 months. However, Joan was quick to bring my head out of the clouds and put feet back down on the ground. Right from the very beginning I learned that working on a project with volunteers involved three separate but equally important skills. The first being able to help in the data collection whilst conducting surveys and then be able to analyse the photos of every encounter. The second, was being able to communicate and connect with the volunteers in a way that provided them with the means to play their own role in the projects development. The final skill was taking care of the domestic affairs. I was surprised to see the amount of effort that had to go into keeping the day-to-day functioning of the project running smoothly and tried my best to keep it that way. Although, whether I succeeded in that final respect is up to Joan. Still, all this effort paled into insignificance whenever I reflected on how lucky I was to be in a position where encounters with wild dolphins were an almost daily pleasure.

The peak of this joy was on the 18th September, in Kalamos of all places. It was business as usual at the Tethys field base. Arising early with the sunrise, we left bleary-eyed from our base in Vonitsa, in the Amvrakikos Gulf. We drove to the nearby area of Kalamos from where we were to embark on what most of us had resigned ourselves to as a survey without much hope. As we cast off from the Mytikas, Joan the principle investigator (a title given to him, much to his own distaste) drove our small rib into an ethereal mist shrouding the nearby island of Kalamos. A former watery Eden, up until 1997 had a healthy population of 150 common dolphins. Sadly, however, the population suffered a dramatic decline, from about 150 to 15 in just 15 years. This was primarily the result of overfishing, which led to the depletion of their prey. However, a mere ten minutes into our survey, Joan calls out excitedly, “Dolphins, three o’clock, horizon!” We all spin round and gaze expectantly at the area that Joan has steered the boat towards. We stare intently for the next thirty seconds and with no dorsal fin sighted, we thought perhaps Joan had been mistaken. Then, they surfaced again! Black shapes arching majestically out of the water, around 500 metres straight in front of us. Delighted, there was a collective intake of breath as the sheer size of the pod that we had found became apparent. At least 10 individuals were cruising along in front of the boat. However, the best was yet to come. Joan calls out “They’re common dolphins!”. Utterly astonished, we all jumped to our stations, Joan and myself yelling out instructions. Joan’s excitement, infectious. Elated calls from our volunteers began raining in providing us valuable information on dolphin numbers and location with respect to our boat, by putting into practice the well rehearsed procedures, originally taught role-playing on the beach back in Vonitsa and honed during a week spent observing the bottlenose dolphins of the Amvrakikos Gulf. We were lucky enough to remain with them for the next three hours, trying to collect as much data as possible on this important encounter. We watched with delight as they lounged about, just stretching near the surface. The day was topped off by a sighting of a newborn common dolphin, who like any regular kid, was bursting with energy keeping the adults from resting. However, despite the feeling of euphoria on board, the passing-by of two large bottom trawlers, heading to their fishing grounds, provided a sobering reminder that lessons had still not been learnt.

During the journey back to port, the atmosphere onboard the zodiac was palpable. Each member talked animatedly about such and such a sighting that they had had, despite the fact that we had all seen the same. Finally, it was with a feeling of great satisfaction, contentment and pride that we all disembarked from the boat. We drove back to Vonitsa exhausted, but with the knowledge that we had all witnessed something special.

For me personally, this experience was the culmination of three years of hard work in getting to where I hoped to be and sheer good luck that I had been offered this opportunity. I write this with two weeks of this incredible adventure to go and feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to meet such a wide range of people from all over the world; to be able to work with such a beautiful species in their natural environment; and to have been taught so much by Joan and Marina, who, together, offer a staggering amount of knowledge and insight. They have both, each in their own unique and completely different way, conveyed a feeling that will be hard to forget. I fear I have been bitten by the same "bug" and it will be with a heavy heart that I finally leave to return to England, but also a content one, knowing that this experience has been everything that I could have wished it to be.

Joe Treddenick
Research assistant, Coastal Dolphins Greece

Hellenic Dolphins: the 2010 research season ends

The dolphin research project in the Gulf of Corinth has recently concluded its second research season, scoring a total of 61 dolphin sightings.

We had many pleasant encounters with marine life. 

We saw all four cetacean species that inhabit the Gulf: bottlenose, striped, short-beaked common and a single Risso’s dolphin.

And also 402 encounters with jellyfish Cothyloriza tubercolata, 23 with loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta, 82 with tuna and 5 with swordfish.

Happy and satisfied about the work done this year, we are grateful to all the volunteers who participated in the field courses, helped us with the research and shared with us every single moment at sea. 



A big THANK YOU to our 63 volunteers who came from 16 nations: Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, UK, and USA:


Frédéric, Laurence, Jillian, Christine, Kate, Sacha, Joanna, Ellis, Ann, Nathalie, Khai Lin, Amanda, Valentina, Rachel, Iris, Graham, Joy, Chrystelle, Lisbet, Katrine, Cornelia, Kate, Jamie, Dagmar, Chloe, Allan, Marie-Eve, Merry, Aislinn, Siobhan, Mirjam, Laura, Riccardo, Dominique, Emily, Karen, Jakub, Valentina, Christina, Russell, Gabriella, Dimitiros, Claudia, Nicole, Andrea, Frédéric, Alison, Suzanne, Marta, Nathan, Steven, Laura, Beatrice, Kathryn, Joana, Ana Caterina, Philipp, Lydia, Yasmine, Gabriele, Lois, Pierandrea, and Jennifer (in order of participation).

Silvia and the Hellenic Dolphins team 2010

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Updated information about Coastal Dolphins Greece can be found HERE.

The expedition briefing for the research season 2011 is already ONLINE.

Dolphins of Greece 17 (21-28 September)

Thanks to the staff (including Posi) for sharing your dolphins with us. I am glad we had a couple of wonderful weather days to witness these special animals and I hope the data collected continues to benefit their health.

Jean (USA)

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Participating in field research has been extremely interesting, with the help of Joan, Joe and especially the dolphins. The week has certainly caused me to re-examine my place in the whole ecosystem, from scuba diving to home aquariums to fishing and multiple other aspects of my daily life that I didn’t think about much in the past. Thanks to all who made this week possible.

Kim (USA)

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The weather didn’t cooperate very well but due to the extraordinary efforts of Joan and Joe we were able to maximize the experience. I appreciated the detailed explanations of the nuts and bolts of marine research. I look forward to reading the forthcoming papers.

Tom (USA)

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This was my opportunity to return to Vonitsa and the dolphins for the second year. I have dreamed of this week for the last 12 months, and memories did not fail. The quiet pace of Vonitsa with the freshest of air, combined with sparkling water and socializing dolphins…  a truly special experience. Thank you, Earthwatch and Tethys. May all our best wishes come true for the creatures of our oceans!

Karin (USA)

IWC/ACCOBAMS Workshop on Ship Strikes

A joint IWC/ACCOBAMS Workshop on reducing risk of collisions between vessels and cetaceans took place last week (21-24 September) in Beaulieu Sur Mer, France. The workshop was attended by members of the International Whaling Commission Ship Strike Working Group (IWC SSWG), together with experts from ACCOBAMS (Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic Area), ASCOBANS (Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas), NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme), IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), WWF International (World Wildlife Fund for Nature), CMS (Convention on Migratory Species), IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), WDCS (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society) and many other organisations and universities from Europe, United States of America, Canada and Japan.

The workshop was also attended by representatives of the Shipping Industry. The purpose of this participation was to inquire about collisions issues and bring the Shipping Companies point of view, in order to identify a match point between the parties.

The terms of reference for the workshop were to:
1. exchange, evaluate and analyse data on temporal and geographical distribution of cetaceans, shipping and reported collision incidents, with a view to: identifying priorities for mitigation in terms of species, populations and areas; and identifying ways to improve data collection and assignment of cause of death;
2. examine and evaluate existing mitigation approaches/regulations, identify and assess the likely efficacy of potential new ones and make recommendations for further work, including identifying mitigation measures for priority populations/areas as appropriate and methods to examine efficacy;
3. develop scientific and conservation recommendations and a two-year work plan for consideration by the IWC, ACCOBAMS, IMO and others.

Veterinary pathologists, expert in marine mammals, explained how important is an accurate and well-timed necropsy to ascertain if the causes of death are related to collisions events and especially if they occurred ante or post mortem.

The Tethys Research Institute has participated with its Vice president Simone Panigada, as the Italian member of the IWC SSWG, and Elisa Remonato. Simone and Elisa are in charge of the Tethys Ship Strikes Project. Panigada’s speech covered the case study of the Mediterranean Sea, particularly the Pelagos Sanctuary where the problem of collisions is particularly serious.

For more information visit:

http://iwcoffice.org/meetings/shipstrikes10.htm

http://www.collisoni.org/

Elisa Remonato

Four weeks between heaven and sea

How time flies, if your are enjoying yourself. After being a research assistant for four weeks I have to go on with my life in Germany. Four weeks of boat life, on the sea so far away from usual life at home. Looking back at those weeks I realise that Pelagos and the Mediterranean Sea became my home. Every time we headed out to sea, I felt the same buzz of anticipation as if it was the first time for me: the amazing feeling of happiness when seeing the graceful dolphins that come along to join the boat. Beyond all words is the experience of bathing in the majestic glow that is spread by the big whales. Those four weeks were like living on another planet, floating high somewhere between heaven and sea. And even now that I am back in Germany’s cold and rainy autumn, I just let my mind travel back to San Remo, thinking of the whales and dolphins of the Mediterranean. Then I get the same uplifting feelings, the same good vibes as if I was still on board. And that will make me survive until next year. Thanks to all people I met on board, especially to Francesca and Viridiana, who taught me all I had to know for being a good research assistant. Thanks also to Nino, Eva and Letizia: I had such a great last week with you. Hope to see you all again next year!

Nina Kelch
CSR research assistant

Cetacean Sanctuary Research 19 (21-26 September)

The summer has gone, the air is getting cooler and the days are noticeably getting shorter day by day.  Still, when the sun comes out it warms the people up putting a smile on the face of the chillier ones. But you know what? Whales and dolphins always make the biggest difference and there is no wind or rain capable of bringing down the mood and the excitement of the crew. Each day was spent out and, with flat or rough sea, the usual striped dolphins, especially the very little ones, showed up gladdening the people with their funny and clumsy swimming together with their mothers and companions. A small loggerhead turtle and a couple of ocean sunfishes tried to go unnoticed but the watchful eyes of the observers on board of Pelagos didn’t miss them. From smaller to bigger animal the size changes, but excitement and amusement were always the same. Sperm whales with their gentle majesty were fluking just a few meters off the boat, leaving everybody speechless. Finally, how to forget the astonishing colourful view at our awakening between the Lerins Islands? A red rising sun on the horizon and a setting full moon over the sky of Cannes: as magical as rare. With this picture still vivid in our eyes, it comes easy to recall what Aldo Leopold said: “Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language.” (A Sand County Almanac, 1949).

Eva, Letizia, Monica and Nino (CSR Team Members)

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This was an amazing week, I really enjoyed it and I was able to learn a lot about cetaceans of the Mediterranean Sea. Thanks to Nino, Monica, Letizia and Eva for being so kind with me and for giving an answer to all my questions (a lot of questions). Thanks to Paolo that is a perfect sailor, also with an awful sea like today! I hope I will have another experience like this next year. Bye!

Zaira (Italia)

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Every day was so special as each day had something new to offer. I will always remember the first time I saw a sperm whale fluke go up; it was breathtaking. We had such nice weather too, and staying between the Iles de Lerins for two nights was just magical. I had so much fun and will remember this week forever. Thank you Letizia, Eva, Nino and Monica for giving us such an enjoyable week. I sure learned a lot about cetaceans and the research aspect of studying them. I hope someday to be able to contribute to the life of cetaceans like you do.

Mirjam (UK)

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Bye, Bye Eva, Letizia, Monica and Nino. Thank you for a very exciting week with a lot of new experiences. It has been amazing to see the striped dolphins cruising under the bow and be lucky to get the eye contact with the mammals. We also enjoyed to see a lot of striped dolphin calves next to their mother and jumping around in the water. We were also lucky to follow some sperm whales during the week, who are incredible whales. It has been great to experience how you study the mammals and it has been exiting to learn about the mammals in the Mediterranean sea (especially Nino’s lesson with documentaries that put the research into a bigger perspective, e.g. overfishing and endangered mammals). We will take all these facts and the knowledge about how important it is to protect the environment with us back to Denmark. You all four have been an amazing team to join and you have been very open to everyone – we felt very much at home on the boat. And to Nino... don’t worry, we will take action on the problem at the Far Oer Islands. Loads of kind regards.

Louise and Matilde (Denmark)

Cetacean Sanctuary Research 18 (13-19 September)

The sea always has in store big surprises to delight the eyes of the people willing to wait and able to observe, and on board of Pelagos the people are always craving for intense moments to keep deep-down the heart. Last week, the Pelagos Sanctuary—after three sightings of sperm whales and many other of the usual striped dolphins—granted the CSR Team with the second sighting of pilot whales of the entire research season. Nino was at the hydrophone tracking two sperm whales 20 nm south of Sanremo, and the skipper, Paolo, was sitting next to him. While deciding the best route to reach the animals, on the spectrogram some atypical sounds appeared. Within a few seconds it became clear that the animals in acoustic detection were actually pilot whales. Paolo was the first to literally jump to reach the cockpit but as soon as he was up there, the observers spotted the animals not far from the boat. Almost 15 animals, divided into two small subgroups, were actively swimming all around the boat, with the three calves being the most active swimmers of the pods. After almost one hour spend with the animals the team decided that it was time to turn the bow towards the coast. The sun was setting down and the sky getting reddish. Sanremo was still far to be reached so we just enjoyed the last hours of navigation socking up the final rays of light.

Eva, Letizia, Nina and Nino (CSR Team Members)

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This is the end of my second week on Pelagos and I’ve totally loved them both.  They’ve been very different weeks, but equally as enjoyable.  The whales and dolphins have be incredible, the crews have been brilliant, truly welcoming and lovely and my fellow participants have been more than I could have wished for (being cooped up in such a confined space!).  I’ve made friends that I hope I will know in years to come.  Finally thank you to Francesca, Anna, Nina, Vittorio, Nino, Eva and Letizia for making everything amazing and allowing me to join you in trying to find out more about the amazing cetaceans of the Mediterranean Sea.

Clare (UK)

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What an amazing week this has been, not only have I gained valuable experience which can be used in my future career as a marine biologist. But also the great sightings that we have been fortunate to have seen have made this trip extra special! The striped dolphins, sperm whales and pilot whales all added to the trip. I think the work being done here is fantastic and hope that it makes an impact in the near future! Of course this trip would not have been possible if not for the excellent crew, who have been very hospitable, kind and helpful. Oh and the food was great too! Thanks a lot and hope to see you all again!

Victoria (UK)

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Thank you, for making this trip such a great experience. For my first time seeing such amazing mammals, I really couldn’t have asked for anything more. The crew have all been fab and so welcoming and passionate about what they do. The pilot whales I would have to say were my favourite on the trip. And it was so nice seeing them with calves. I hope to have the same experiences throughout the rest of my education and for what ever comes next. Thank you!

Morgan (UK)

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Coucou! So much fun on board with all of you! I couldn’t expect such an amazing week: dolphins, sperms whales, pilot whales and people were so funny!  Thank you for everything! The team was brilliant! And now the words are missing to tell how happy I was to fulfil this dream I had from so long time…

Floriane (Suisse)

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Many thanks for an amazing and dream –fulfilling week . The sightings were spectacular and I thoroughly enjoyed all the lectures  - this has been an invaluable experience. All the crew were most helpful and always  willing to answer any questions. Hopefully I will be able to participate in similar experiences in the future. Thank you all very much!

Julie (UK)

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Thank you all very much for this great trip, seeing sperm whales was just amazing to me! Big thanks to the crew, who did everything to make this trip special and so funny! I felt just like home on the boat.

Nora (Austria)

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Great sightings and a lovely team! I have enjoyed the trip so much and if I had the slightest doubts before, now I know for sure that I want to become a whale and dolphin researcher. Thanks to everyone on board, I will not forget this week a next time I will be back for longer!

Jenny (Germany)

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We really enjoyed the week of learning so much about the Mediterranean Sea and daily life of scientific work. Thanks for being so kind and the marvelous food!

Andi, Judith and Sophie (Austria)

Francesca Zardin su PIG Magazine

Nell'ambito dell'iniziativa Ketos 2.1 tenutasi ad aprile presso l'Acquario Civico di Milano, PIG Magazine ha intervistato Francesca Zardin - ricercatrice dell'Istituto Tethys.

L'intervista è apparsa nel numero di aprile, ma per chi se la fosse persa è disponibile alla pagina 142 del seguente link:

http://issuu.com/avalondep/docs/pig-magazine-81-marzo-2010

The scam of dolphin-assisted therapy

Read the post by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara on his "Wave Action" blog.

http://www.disciara.net/?p=359

Dolphin captivity attempts risk metastasizing the Egyptian Red Sea coast

Read the post by Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara on his "Wave Action" blog.

http://www.disciara.net/?p=303