A day in the life

(written upon request for the Earthwatch Institute web site)

From March 2006 I settled in Greece where I am in charge of year-round research in the Amvrakikos Gulf. Together with Giovanni Bearzi, I lead the ‘Dolphins of Greece’ project supported by the Earthwatch Institute.

Before moving here, I had been working intermittently with the Tethys Research Institute in Greece since 1999. From the very beginning, I fell in love with the island of Kalamos, its surroundings and the kindness of local people. In those crystal-clear waters I made my first dolphin sighting.

When Tethys offered me the opportunity of taking care of a new project in the Amvrakikos Gulf and settle in the beautiful village of Vonitsa, it just felt like the right thing to do. Obviously, it wasn’t easy to leave behind family, friends and my hometown (the gorgeous Barcelona), but I guess it was part of the challenge. After over two years of living in Greece the decision has proven to be good.

The semi-closed Amvrakikos Gulf has a high density of bottlenose dolphins and its calm waters make it an ideal place to the study these animals. However, the Gulf is becoming increasingly eutrophic and polluted as a result of human pressure. Management priority should be given to curtailing eutrophication and pollution and incrasing water exchange with the open Sea - that has been reduced by port construction and other infrastructure.

My life in Vonitsa changes a lot depending on whether we have volunteers participating in our field courses or not. As dolphin research must be conducted year-round with consistent methods, my main task while volunteers are at the field base is to ensure that field work and data collection are done properly. I must keep up with their expectations and do my best to convey a conservation message and involve them in everything we do. To accomplish this task, the help of one or two research assistants is crucial. My assistants devote much time to looking after the volunteers’ needs and they supervise their work at the field base, after 4-5 hours of intensive work at sea.

While the volunteers are here, one of the things I enjoy the most are our conversations over dinner. We normally talk about the day’s events. That dolphin bow-riding who stared at us while gracefully gliding below our boat. The feeding frenzy of a flock of seagulls taking advantage of dolphins schooling fish to the surface. A couple of male loggerhead sea turtles ‘wrestling’ a few meters away from us... Living with people with different backgrounds, sharing their thoughts, emotions and worries towards the future of our planet is mostly a pleasant experience.

When I am alone or with research assistants (usually marine biology students) we carry on with our survey effort and data collection, but I can afford to devote more time to other aspects of the project. This includes organising educational and public awareness activities at local schools or working with local fishermen to investigate interactions between dolphins and fisheries.

In the winter, one of the things I enjoy the most is walking early in the morning along the seaside, in the good company of my dog Posi, looking at the mountains on the opposite side of the Gulf with their hills covered by snow and the flocks of sea birds flying around the small wooden boats of local fishermen while they are hauling their nets. And, of course, I enjoy being at sea in the company of dolphins. It is then that being here makes perfect sense.

Joan Gonzalvo

Kalamos, un paradiso in pericolo

Una volta approdati a Kalamos si entra nella Grecia che tutti noi abbiamo in mente. La Grecia delle isole selvagge, dell'acqua cristallina, del silenzio rotto solo dal canto delle cicale.

Alla base si respira un'atmosfera magica, la casa è rustica e al tempo stesso accogliente e alla sera si mangia in giardino, sotto un fantastico cielo stellato, accompagnati dalle vocalizzazioni dell'assiolo.

Dopo un intero anno come assistente di campo per lo Ionian Dolphin Project di Amvrakikos, ho voluto partecipare al progetto di Kalamos per capire meglio le problematiche legate a questo luogo incantevole, un tempo sede di incontri regolari di delfini comuni, tursiopi, tonni, pesci spada e foche monache, oggi oggetto di una pesca intensa e mal regolamentata, che sta mettendo a rischio l'intero ecosistema.

Devo dire di essere stata molto fortunata perchè alla mia prima uscita in mare, dopo non molte ore di navigazione, abbiamo avvistato due delfini comuni, una madre col piccolo! Che emozione, il primo delfino comune della mia vita! Il mare era piuttosto mosso, perciò siamo riusciti a seguirli solo per una mezz'ora, ma negli occhi di tutti si vedeva la gioia e la concentrazione degne di un evento ormai raro e preziosissimo.

La mia seconda uscita invece è stata deliziata da un gruppo di cinque tursiopi: Spiti, una vecchia conoscenza del luogo, assieme a quattro giovani, molto attivi e giocosi. Siamo rimasti con loro a lungo, ma nessuno a bordo del gommone,accennava a un minimo di stanchezza. La generale difficoltà nel trovare i delfini si accompagna infatti a un grande entusiasmo nel momento in cui si avvistano e sono sicura che anche i volontari percepiscano l'importanza che ogni avvistamento riveste.

Dai racconti dei colleghi penso a come deve essere stata Kalamos solo quindici anni fa. Un paradiso ancora incontaminato. Immagino la frustrazione di chi segue questo progetto dal suo inizio e che, nonostante l'impegno e il duro lavoro, ha dovuto assistere al progressivo degrado ambientale e alla scomparsa di molte forme di vita. E' un processo drammatico che va fermato prima che sia troppo tardi e il contributo di ognuno di noi può essere determinante.

Ringrazio tutti i componenti del delizioso team che mi ha accompagnata in questa esperienza, in particolare Silvia e Annalise, le due responsabili di campo che mi hanno accolta e coinvolta da subito in ogni aspetto del lavoro, che stanno conducendo con grande entusiasmo e professionalità.

Elisa Malevolti

Bringing the dolphins of Greece to Los Angeles students

On July, 17th, Earthwatch volunteer Larissa Karan and I held a video conference with a group of school children from Virgil Middle School in Los Angeles, California.

Larissa teaches science to students with special needs. She does that in the most densely populated area of Los Angeles. As an educator, Larissa wanted to share with her students her experience with Tethys researchers studying bottlenose dolphins in the Amvrakikos Gulf.

Larissa received an expedition scholarship from Earthwatch to participate in the Dolphins of Greece expedition, with the aim of passing on to students her field experience. Her motivation, enthusiasm and commitment to teaching motivated me to participate in a video conference with kids from her school. It was a unique opportunity for students to ask questions about dolphins, research and marine conservation.

Answering the questions posed by the kids and seeing Larissa in action for about an hour was a touching experience. If you are curious about the kids’ questions and delivered answers, you may want to check Larissa’s web page.

Joan Gonzalvo

Kalamos 19-26 July

Osservare i delfini? In mare? In Grecia? Collaborare con un gruppo di ricercatori?

Confesso tutto il mio scetticismo quando la mia compagna mi fece questa proposta! “Ma io non sono uno studioso… La vita nel mare mi appassiona e mi affascina, ma… Che razza di aiuto posso dare a chi studia i delfini del Mediterraneo?”

Ed eccomi qui, qualche mese dopo, con la mia valigia troppo grande per questo luogo idilliaco che è l’isola di Kalamos. Serve veramente poco in questo ambiente informale, dove tutti (nella bellissima casetta di Episkopi) facciamo le stesse cose, condividiamo momenti di lavoro e di svago.

I delfini, certo, quelli li ho incontrati davvero! Un giorno ho trascorso ore a seguire le loro bizze dal gommone che, sapientemente condotto dalle giovani ricercatrici di Tethys, andava loro dietro senza mai interferire con la loro attività. Anzi, erano loro, i delfini, ad avvicinarsi a noi incuriositi, sbalordendoci con i loro salti e le loro evoluzioni!

Un grazie speciale a Silvia, Annalise, Elisa e Kelsea per la loro disponibilità, affabilità e simpatia, che hanno permesso a un profano quale io sono, di vivere questa indimenticabile esperienza!! Un saluto anche ai miei compagni/e di avventura: Marianna, Aliki, Noemi e al giovanissimo Paolo! Un abbraccio.

Germano, Italy

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La casa bianca con le ante blu, il mare e il canto delle cicale, le piroette dei delfini e l’entusiasmo di tutti… come si può lasciare tutto questo?

Ma gli amici restano e le esperienze di questa settimana sono parte di me. Se prima raccoglievo i sacchetti abbandonati sulla spiaggia per senso del dovere, ora farò la stessa cosa con l’amore ed il rispetto che sento per i nostri amici marini.

Conoscere per amare e rispettare, una vacanza ricca di entusiasmo, arricchimento e crescita. Grazie Silvia e Annalise. Grazie Elisa, Kelsea, Marianna, Aliki, Paolo e Germano.

A presto.

Noemi, Italy

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Quella della Tethys, per mio conto, è un’esperienza fantastica e anche molto educativa.

Si parte la mattina presto verso le 7.30 in gommone, alla ricerca dei delfini. Nel caso si trovassero, inizia la parte più divertente e bisogna lavorare con l’attrezzatura da ricerca. Alle 11.00 ci si ferma per bere qualche cosa e dopo mezz’ora si riparte. Alle 14.00 si rincasa e si mangia qualche cosa. Dopo il pranzo c’è il tempo libero fino alle 18.00 e in quattro ore si può fare il bagno, dormire, leggere, rilassarsi, ecc. Alle 18.00 si guarda un video e dopo si lavora sulla foto-identificazione, che consiste nell’identificare i delfini attraverso le cicatrici e le tacche che hanno sulla pinna. Finito tutto ciò, si cucina e si mangia.

Questo è a grandi linee ciò che si fa. Però è difficile spiegare la bellezza di vedere uno o più delfini saltare e fare acrobazie, quindi il mio consiglio è di venire a provarlo di persona, e vi posso assicurare che passerete un’ottima vacanza!

Paolo (13 anni), Italy

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First and foremost, I think that my fellow colleagues and I were very lucky to see dolphins since the external influences have become a serious threat to all maritime species in the waters of Kalamos. When I saw the two common dolphins, Nigel and Nigel-son4, I felt that something got stuck in my throat – I was not enlightened, but I wanted to cry because of the gratitude I felt that these fascinating creatures are still alive and living in this place.

How can it be that something so wonderful, and the world it is living in is continuously exploited and destroyed? That is not the only question I asked myself during my stay in Kalamos.

To be with like-minded people who do care and do something about the problem made me feel better, but nevertheless I have doubts about the future of the dolphin population of Kalamos.
Thanks to Tethys, there are substantial research results at hand, which prove the constant decline of common dolphins in this region. If the Greek Government does not see the potential of this area, considering both sustainable fishing methods and environmentally friendly tourism, one of the last natural treasures of Greece will disappear.

However, I want to thank everyone for the fruitful, cross-cultural and enriching exchange.

Silvia for her patience and her calm and comprehensible attitude towards all kind of problems. Your Greek is great! Annalise for her joy to share her knowledge with us. You are not small at all! You both work so hard and the field station (and Tethys) would be NOTHING without personalities like you! Elisa for her charming smile and her great skills in assisting us during the sighting of the dolphins. Kelsea for her openness, the fish face :0) and her patience with all the Italians! Aliki for your input and great humor and the laughter while freezing on the inflatable. Noemi for her hands and her interest towards everything. Germano for all the help and kindness and the red wine. You two are such a great couple! Paolo – thanks to you I know how it is not to freeze – you will stay in my mind drinking Ice Tea out of a frozen glass on a cold, cloudy and rainy day. I won't forget you!

Marianna, Switzerland

Monk seal sighting near Meganisi, Greece

Amazing! It was our first day of surveying for the Ionian Dolphin Project around the island of Kalamos (Greece). We were looking for dolphins for about two hours, when we had a great sighting along the coast of Meganisi island... Something rounded and black popped out of the water, very close to a pebbled beach. It disappeared in the water... and came out again.

Binoculars in hands our biologist onboard shouted out: “It’s a MONK SEAL!” It was the first time I had seen one in the wild. I was so happy: finally I could see one of these disappearing marine mammals.

The monk seal Monachus monachus was slowly swimming along the coast to reach the next small bay. It was about two meters long. It was five minutes of unbelievable sighting for a biologist. Some years ago I’ve been working on public awareness at the National Marine Park of Sporades (Aegean Sea, Greece) dispersing leaflets about the biology and conservation of monk seals. They struggle to survive in very few places in the Mediterranean Sea, mostly around remote and quiet islands with pebbled beaches hidden in caves. How lucky we were to get to see one of them! It was unforgettable.

Aliki Hadjidakis, Switzerland/Greece

Kalamos, 13-18 July

A week of dolphins, fun and good company. Thank you Tethys for a warm welcome and the opportunity to share an insight into the invaluable work you do. Especially a big thank you to the dolphins who introduced themselves on our first day. Keep up the good work and hopefully one day the dolphins will return to Greece in the numbers they once were.

Janice, England

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A great experience, the Tethys crew are informative and welcoming and work hard to make your stay enjoyable, safe and involved in the different aspects of research and conservation. Location and accommodation splendid. Suggestion tip: show the “EarthOcean” video on the project on the first night as this gives an excellent introduction to what Tethys is achieving within this field of research.

Suzanne, Ireland

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Scrutare la superficie del mare argentato quando il sole ancora rimane appoggiato sulle montagne e tendere tutta la propria attenzione verso un luccichio o un’ombra sospetta tra le onde, questo è ciò che ho amato di più in questi sei giorni. E’ stata un’esperienza decisamente interessante sotto ogni punto di vista. Oltre ad avere allungato lo sguardo sul mare greco per avvistare i delfini, ho teso non meno impegnativamente le orecchie per captare più inglese possibile. Ringrazio Tethys, Annalise, Silvia e i volontari per ogni cosa e spero che questa appassionante ricerca continui con lo stesso spirito. Grazie a Spiti, uno dei delfini avvistati, per averci lusingato l’ultimo giorno con una serie di meravigliosi salti e capovolte.

Elena, Italy

Dolphins of Greece in July (2)

It was such a fantastic experience working with the Tethys research team in Vonitsa. Eli, Joan and Gio really made me feel at home here, and I learned so much about these fascinating creatures! I especially am thankful for the opportunity to share this experience with my students in Los Angels through video conferencing with Joan. Eli really worked hard to teach us how to do the identifications, and made the task both interesting and enjoyable. The birthday party allowed our last supper to be a joyous occasion instead of a somber one, and for that I am relieved. This is a week that my students and I will remember forever!

Larissa, USA

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This was a terrific experience! Joan, Eli and Giovanni were terrific teachers and made me feel comfortable at home even in the smoltering heat. I knew nothing about dolphins before I arrived, but now I leave here with fairly extensive knowledge and can even identify dolphins by their dorsal fins (quite an accomplishment)! Our birthday party made our last night a fun experience, and not so upsetting to be leaving this beautiful place. But most of all, I will miss my dear Posi (the dog) and my good morning kisses from him. I hope to be able to return someday...

Judith, USA

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An unforgettable experience... We woke every morning to crisp, cool temperatures and excitement about how many dolphins we would see that day. We had four terrific sightings, including a lot of bowriding, percussive and aerial behavior, some foraging, and even a dolphin stretching after a short nap. My most spectacular experience was when we had three dolphins bowriding and could hear their whistling noises. It was truly breathtaking! The scenery is beautiful. The food was fabulous. Eli and Joan did an excellent job teaching us about the work they are doing here. We shared some good laughs and conversation. I am honored to have been a part of this expedition team. I will share my experiences with my friends and family for years to come.

Ashlee, USA

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Dolphins of Greece

Additional information on bottlenose dolphins in the Amvrakikos Gulf:
Bearzi G., Agazzi S., Bonizzoni S., Costa M., Azzellino A. 2008. Dolphins in a bottle: abundance, residency patterns and conservation of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in the semi-closed eutrophic Amvrakikos Gulf, Greece. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 18(2):130-146. (502 Kb)

Dolphins of Greece in July (1)

Before I left for my Earthwatch expedition, I received a farewell email from a friend saying that she hoped the Dolphins of Greece “far exceeded my expectations”. What I witnessed the first day out at sea was far beyond anything I could have ever imagined. The dolphins were surrounding us as if to welcome us. They put on a beautiful performance!

I cried that day on the boat, and on all of our other sightings. Each time being struck by their magnificence. Seeing them in their natural environment can not compare to seeing them in an aquarium or show. In the Gulf, it is as if you are spying on them in their home. I so appreciate their hospitality!

Having the opportunity to work with and observe the research team was a unique one in many ways. Their passion and endless dedication to the animals is admirable and not often seen in many other work places. Despite the fact that they have been observing dolphins for many years, there is no mistaking the joy that overcomes them when a dolphin is “in sight”. One might think that they are seeing them for the very first time, just as the volunteers are.

Outside of the boat, their commitment to the project continues. The amount of time and energy it takes to input and analyze the data is incredible and very complex. Even with the assistance of volunteers like me, the project encompasses many factors that require ongoing attention. I am most struck by the struggles Tethys faces with gaining the necessary funding to keep the project going. It saddens me to see such efforts being made for such a worthwhile cause, with so little acknowledgement and support.

As a volunteer, I question how that might be able to change... (hmmm very very big question mark). Perhaps the most unique aspect of the research team was their ability to create a warm and fun loving environment (the food and wine helped a lot!). It was wonderful to have the chance to build relationships and learn a bit about their respective cultures and ways of life.

Tomorrow is my last day on the boat and I already feel a sense of sadness. This expereince has impacted me in a way that will be with me for always. Thanks to the dolphins, the town of Vonista and Joan, Eli and Giovanni for providing me with such an enriching and powerful experience.

Debbie, New Jersey

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Dolphins of Greece

Early morning fish-farm sighting

Another early morning at the Tethys field base in Kalamos. The sun had not risen long, but Silvia was already walking up the path behind the house towards our 'land observation point'. While the rest of the crew made their way to the boat in preparation for another hot day of surveying, Silvia had spotted 4 bottlenose dolphins in the channel between Mytikas and Kalamos.

Receiving the news via cell phone, we soon sped from Episkopi towards the assumed location, all intently looking around for the early morning visitors. Soon enough, we found the group at the Mytikas fish farm, which is appearing to be a common meeting place.

We started the behavioural sampling routine at 7:30AM! Throughout the 2.5 hours of data uploading, we observed countless social interactions with percussive and aerial displays. As curious as we were towards the group, they returned the intrigue by spyhopping a few times and often surfacing face first before taking a breath.

There were a few instances that caught our interest. One was that the group appeared to be separated into two couples that usually surfaced together. At one point in the sighting, a school of fish about 15m from the fish farm were jumping out the water with the dolphins around. Another peculiar observation was how fearless the dolphins were in the fish farm. Without any precaution, the dolphins were racing, jumping and socializing around the cages. The dolphins appeared to be unaffected by the fish farm boats driving around. Some of the workers seemed to appreciate the presence of the dolphins and watched them every now and then.

Returning back at the base and uploading the wonderful pictures taken by Annalise, we soon realized that the 4 bottlenose were none other than the 4 juveniles that have been spotted numerous times this season. The four were usual found with Spiti, the male with the dorsal fin cut off; but in this case, he appeared to be elsewhere.

Only time will tell what the Mytikas fish farm has in store for us in the future!

Shiva Javdan

One of those days

It’s the 7th of July and we just came back from the sea. This morning we decided to visit the fish and mussel farms in the western side of the Amvrakikos Gulf. Aquaculture is quite widespread in our study area and it is interesting to monitor the growth and development of this local industry. Transcribing the notes taken in the small tape recorder, I review today’s events and my mind gets back to those moments.

On board of our inflatable we visited four fish farms and three mussel farms. Finding bottlenose dolphins near one of these facilities was nothing really new. What was amazing to me, after these years spent regularly surveying the Gulf, was spotting so many sea turtles: by the end of the day we ended up recording a total of 18 encounters with these marine reptiles.

On our last fish farm stop we also saw a school of mullets swimming at the surface, very close to one of the cages, and then a group of six graceful bull rays Pteromylaeus bovinus swimming underneath. I was fascinated by their kite-like silhouette while they were gliding underwater, the body shape softened by the murky waters of the Gulf. Two of these rays looked like they were were rubbing their bellies against a chain anchoring the fish cage.

While all this was going on, two bottlenose dolphins came and started diving around the cages, while another large dolphin group could be seen at a distance, surface feeding in a cloud of seagulls and terns.

This was one of those days when one gets back home completely exhausted, but also with a big smile. One of those days that help recharge your batteries after months of intensive field work and remind you how lucky you are, working in such a unique place. Just one of those unforgettable days.

Joan Gonzalvo

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Photo credit: FishBase

An unexpected encounter: Mediterranean spearfish near Kalamos

(click on the photo to enlarge it)

The first week of July ended with a mysterious encounter. While navigating on transect we spotted something in the distance. At first it appeared to be waves, possibly even produced by a boat. Nonetheless, we decided to check it out.

Arriving at the position a large school of small fish began to jump synchronously, as if they were a single entity. Soon afterwards, we observed a large fin behind the school. A shark? Maybe... but with the binoculars we could see a peculiar pattern of light and dark blue stripes on the body of the animal.

After seeing a second posterior fin, we moved towards the idea of a swordfish Xiphias gladius - a relatively common encounter in the area. But then, we were wrong again.

Once at home, the digital photographs showed us that the predator was most likely a rather rare and magnificent Mediterranean spearfish Tetrapturus belone preying on a school of garpike Belone belone !

Shiva, Annalise and Silvia

Kalamos, 29 June - 5 July

Before working on this project I was unaware of the severity of the problems facing many of the Cetaceans present within the Mediterranean Sea. After helping research into the common dolphin and bottlenose dolphin and learning of the evident decrease in resident populations of both species, I only hope that action will be taken to prevent the extinction of these species in the Ionian Sea and hopefully to help the population recover.

Alex, U.K.

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I have enjoyed the last five days working with the Tethys researchers and am pleased to have had the opportunity to contribute to such a worthwhile project. Although I was partly aware of the problems facing marine life due to overfishing and pollution, I didn’t appreciate how urgent the situation is or how severe. The voluntary work has been enjoyable as well as informative; seeing the dolphins, both bottlenose and common, so up close was a unique experience and made the early mornings worth it!

Rebecca, U.K.

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Great time! Beautiful house, amazing Ionian Sea and Kalamos island and of course WONDERFUL dolphins. Thanks to Silvia, Annalise and Shiva who taught us everything about Mediterranean Sea and dolphins behaviour.

Malgosia & Piotr, Poland

Overfishing and the disappearance of short-beaked common dolphins from western Greece

The following article by Tethys researchers has just been published on Endangered Species Research:

Bearzi G., Agazzi S., Gonzalvo J., Costa M., Bonizzoni S., Politi E., Piroddi C., Reeves R.R. 2008. Overfishing and the disappearance of short-beaked common dolphins from western Greece. Endangered Species Research 5:1-12.

ABSTRACT: Once one of the most common cetaceans in the Mediterranean Sea, the short-beaked common dolphin has declined throughout the region since the 1960s and in 2003 this population was classified as Endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Here, we document the species' precipitous decline in eastern Ionian Sea coastal waters across 13 yr. While 150 animals were present in the study area (1050 km2) in 1996, only 15 were observed in 2007. A 12 mo assessment of fishing effort and catch, together with circumstantial evidence, suggests that the decline was caused largely by prey depletion resulting from overfishing. We analyzed the impacts of various fishing gear and estimated the degree of resource overlap between common dolphins and local fisheries. The total biomass removed annually by 308 fishing boats in the study area averaged 3571 t, while that consumed by common dolphins was 17 t. Resource overlap between common dolphins and fisheries—expressed as an average Pianka index of 0.5—differed according to fishing gear, being higher for purse seiners (0.7) and beach seiners (0.4) and lower for bottom trawlers (0.1), trammel boats (0.2) and longliners (0.0). Only about 10 active purse seiners (4% of the total active fishing fleet) were responsible for 33% of the biomass removal, and likely had the greatest impact on prey of common dolphins. This study indicates a high risk of local disappearance of common dolphins in the very near future, unless fishery management measures are implemented immediately. Purse seining should be the main management target.

The pdf version of this article can be downloaded from the link below:
http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/esr/v5/n1/p1-12/ì

Why we did not try to "save" the newborn dolphin

I wasn't on board when Joan and Elisa found the dying newborn, but I support their choice of documenting the event without trying to intervene.

I'm quite sure that they would have done their best to help the baby, should there be any space for meaningful action. But I agree with them that there wasn't any.

Below, I try to explain why.

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The fate of the baby dolphin was rather unpredictable. While he obviously had problems, these were of unknown origin and they could have been of temporary nature. We did not know whether the newborn could recover and what was going to happen next. Only towards the end of the observation it became apparent that he was going to die.

Capturing a dolphin in deep open waters cannot be expected to be easy, also considering that adult dolphins were consistently preventing the baby from approaching the resarchers' boat too closely. The likely reaction by the newborn to approaching human swimmers under those circumstances could be avoidance and increased distress.

The researchers on boat had no veterinary experience and carried no medical equipment. The best they could do (provided that they managed to capture the bay dolphin) was keeping him at the surface. This, however, was expected to result in additional stress and overheating, thus increasing rather than decreasing the risk of mortality. Wild dolphins have been reported to die of stress when handled and the risk may be particularly high if the handled animal is already distressed or ill.

Attempts to capture the newborn may have elicited aggressive behaviours by its presumed mother and/or by other adult dolphins, exposing humans to unknown but potentially significant risks, particularly in deep and murky waters. The presence of swimmers was also likely to disrupt the behaviour of the whole group, possibly jeopardizing the repeated and obvious attempts by other dolphins to assist the newborn. This, again, was thought to increase rather than decrease the risk of a potentially fatal outcome.

Giovanni Bearzi
President, Tethys Research Institute

Agony and death of a newborn bottlenose dolphin calf in the Amvrakikos Gulf (2)

On the 3rd of July, 2008, Tethys researchers Joan Gonzalvo and Elisa Malevolti observed and filmed the agony of a newborn bottlenose dolphin in the semi-closed waters of the Amvrakikos Gulf, western Greece.

The observation lasted about 45 min. The newborn eventually died and sunk in the green murky waters of the Gulf, disappearing from view. The adult dolphins who had been surrounding and assisting the baby left the area. They were followed for about 20 min as they moved away from the place where the newborn had died.

The observations were documented by a video and 104 digital photos.

Watch the video and a selection of 33 photos

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For additional information on bottlenose dolphins in the Amvrakikos Gulf see:
Bearzi G., Agazzi S., Bonizzoni S., Costa M., Azzellino A. 2008. Dolphins in a bottle: abundance, residency patterns and conservation of bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus in the semi-closed eutrophic Amvrakikos Gulf, Greece. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 18(2):130-146. (502 Kb)

Agony and death of a newborn bottlenose dolphin in the Amvrakikos Gulf (1)

It’s the 3rd of July and we have been scanning the sea surface on the eastern Amvrakikos Gulf for over an hour. Towards the end the second navigation transect, at 10:10 AM, the familiar spark of the sun reflected on a dolphin’s dorsal fin, far away, tells us where the animals are. Up to now everything seems routine.

But as soon as we approach the dolphins we notice a newborn calf accompanied by two adults surfacing close to him. What initially feels me up with joy and optimism for the welfare of the dolphins inhabiting this wonderful place – a newborn is always good news – is soon replaced by a sad feeling as I realize that this tiny and cute creature is showing clear signs of distress.

His swimming is awkward and his panicking little eyes are wide open, seemingly calling for help. Two adult dolphins are frantically trying to help him on his struggle to stay afloat. Some other dolphins occasionally approach and seem to share a sense of anguish.

The agony of the baby goes on for 45 minutes and at 10.58 he freezes and sinks, disappearing in the green murky waters of the Gulf. We stay with the rest of the group for half an hour, but the newborn has disappeared. At 11:21 we decide to stop the sighting and head back to the field station.

I feel privileged for having witnessed a unique and touching event, but it hurts. It really hurts.

Joan Gonzalvo

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Note: The event described here took place exactly one year after a similar one occurred in the Amvrakikos Gulf on the 3rd and 4th of July, 2007. On those days a bottlenose dolphin mother was observed mourning her dead newborn for several hours.

Publish or Perish

"There are many reasons why this failure to publish is a scientific crime. The most obvious is that the information is lost to the world. When the scientist who has studied species X for two decades - and published not one jot of data - gets hit by a truck, most of that knowledge will be buried with him or her. The person lying under the truck’s wheels may well have stimulated many colleagues, probably by presenting some findings at conferences (a common dodge to avoid actually writing something up). But without publications, that scientist’s work will have been largely wasted.

Part of the problem, if I may be permitted a dubious food-related metaphor, is that some scientists live for the hunt, not for the cooking and serving. These are individuals who love to solve problems. For them, results always lead to more questions, which lead to more studies, which lead to more questions, and on and on. Instead of taking time to write up the work they’ve finished, they keep returning to the field. The field is fun."

Read on...
Clapham P. 2005. Publish or perish. BioScience 55(5):390-391.

Kalamos, July 1st, 2008

The new month brings a new resident crew: new volunteers, new experiences and more sightings!

Marking the first day of the second month of the 2008 season was exhilarating, to say the least. With a successful completion of transect C the day before, we began our route towards transect B. Within only 5 minutes of leaving Episkopi, Silvia spotted dolphins between Kalamos Island and Mytikas.

Approaching the dolphin location, we soon realized that there were 8 bottlenose dolphins. Among them, we observed LARA and her current calf. Another individual of the pod was LARASON2, the older son of LARA, born in August 1998. The photoidentification done today was important because we discovered LARASON2 to actually be a female, based on a photo of her genital area.

Approximately an hour of behavioural data included lots of social activity and a variety of aerial and percussive behaviour. At times, the pod would surface all together giving us a beautiful image with Kalamos in the background.

With no clear directionality, the pod soon separated with the juveniles heading towards the Mytikas fish farm and leaving the other individuals. Young and energetic, the juveniles showcased some supposed feeding activity although never passing the orange buoys to the centre of the fish farm. The youngsters did not fail to impress: racing, jumping and showing off as they know best.

Having such an exciting first day of July, we are all pumped for what the magical Ionian Seas has in store for us in the coming days of July. Stay tuned for all the action!

Shiva Javdan

Kalamos, 16-28 June 2008

I came here to Episkopi without any expectations of whom I will meet. Now after this week I can only say: it was a great week, with wonderful people and unforgettable impressions. I had the opportunity to be part of a team with a lot of passion for dolphin research and conservation. I saw a group of 13 common dolphins, I saw the crazy bottlenose dolphins jumping right next to the boat and I was introduced how to take the data. I woke up with the sunrise over the sea and I had dinner while learning my first words in Greek. Marina, Marcel and Shiva: THANKS A LOT FOR THIS GREAT TIME!!! For the future I wish you a lot of success for your work. I will never forget these great days with you! A big hug

Viola, Germany

Out of the blue

It’s 7:15 in the morning and we are crossing the channel between the island of Kalamos and the mainland. With the colorful sunrise never failing to amaze us with its beauty, we take the volunteers to the bus station at Mytikas. It has been an incredible week of sightings and after the volunteers leave for Athens, we meet with our friend Adonis for a Greek coffee near the sea.

We are all sitting in the cafeteria drinking and chatting a mix of English, Italian, Greek and Spanish when suddenly Marina spots a dorsal fin, right in front of us. Bottlenose dolphins in the Mytikas channel! Wow! Go or not go? It is our rest time before a hard day working on boat reparations. But we see a calf in the group and we decide to take the boat and try to identify the mother.

The sea is perfect and in five minutes we approach the group. We don’t have any research equipment on board but we immediately realize that LARA has come back. The calf in the group is her new baby!

LARA is one of the most resident bottlenose dolphins and she has been seen in the waters of Kalamos since 1994. She gave birth to three babies during this time. We are happy to see that her fourth calf was born, after the bad experience with her latest offspring, ZOI.

ZOI was born in the summer of 2004 but its rostrum got entangled in fishing gear and this caused major lesions as the calf grew up. ZOI did not survive to adult age.

Today’s encounter with LARA and her new baby is good news. Life has managed to surface again out of the blue waters of Kalamos.

Marina Costa, Shiva Javdan, Marcel Clusa

Still 13 common dolphins around Kalamos - let's not see them disappear!

Yesterday, June 24th, a group of 12 common dolphins was sighted by the Tethys team (Marina, Marcel, Shiva and one volunteer) south of the island of Lefkada, within the 'Kalamos' study area.

The group included 9 adults, 1 juvenile and 2 calves. All these animals had been previously catalogued and are known to the research team. The group included both females (Nigel, Lins and Simon) and males (Elisa, Aetos and 93023), plus three other adults of unknown gender.

The juvenile was the third son of Lins, and the two calves were the fourth and the second sons of Nigel and Simon, respectively.

The group was followed for about two hours and all the animals could be photo-identified based on 213 digital photographs.

This is the third sighting of common dolphins in June 2008. The first sighting was of a lone individual (Fiocco). The second was of Nigel with her son.

Observations conducted so far in the context of ongoing monitoring show that there are still at least 13 common dolphins around Kalamos. This is very good news considering the dramatic decline observed over the past decade.

Last year, only 15 common dolphins were estimated to have survived around Kalamos (ten years ago there were 150 animals). Being able of documenting the persistence of at least a small common dolphin unit is important as this shows that recovery would still be possible if timely action is taken. Management measures to facilitate recovery have been defined into detail and proposed to the relevant authorities. We hope that such measures will be taken soon and that this relict community - one of the last living in the central Mediterranean - can be rescued.

Should managers and Governments fail to do so, they will cast a shadow over their commitments to protect endangered cetacean populations.

Giovanni Bearzi

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For more information:
Common dolphins around Kalamos, Greece

Pingers and dolphins

A new study about pinger efficiency has been recently published.

“Pingers as deterrents of bottlenose dolphins interacting with trammel nets” was written by three experts from GRUMM, the group for the study and conservation of marine mammals at the University of Barcelona (Spain): Manel Gazo, Joan Gonzalvo and Alex Aguilar.

The study focuses on the effectiveness of pingers in discouraging common bottlenose dolphins from approaching trammel nets in Majorca, Balearic Islands, an area where dolphin depredation is significant. The authors evaluate dolphin damage to the nets and economic loss by fishermen.

The interesting conclusion is that though pingers did not stop dolphins from approaching the fishing nets, the nets equipped with functional pingers received less damage than nets with non-functional devices or without pingers. Authors also discovered that pingers did not appear to have any effect on fishery target species but may cause unwanted environmental impacts, which are also reviewed in the article.

Since 2006 Joan Gonzalvo works with Tethys as Principal investigator in the research project conducted in the Amvrakikos Gulf, Greece.

Silvia Bonizzoni

Photo from Gazo et al. 2008

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For more information:
Gazo M., Gonzalvo J., Aguilar A. 2008. Pingers as deterrents of bottlenose dolphins interacting with trammel nets. Fisheries Research 92:70-75.

Only in June

At Kalamos, it can only happen in June.

Only then can you wake up in the morning of a beautiful sunny day, with a magnificent view of the islands. But there is a little wind, all it takes to make spotting dolphins difficult at sea.

It can only happen in June that the sea conditions change within minutes, leaving us to abandon our transect and escape to an ad libitum route, which means that we continue navigating outside the survey tracks. We direct our path towards the sheltered south of Lefkada and finally we find some flat sea surface. For an hour we navigate on a perfect sea, concentrating on dolphin search. Unfortunately we can find no dolphins and after patrolling the entire area, we decide to head back.

It only happens in June that we cross paths with an English yacht; a large and beautiful sailing boat with uniformed crew and captain. And there is something strange. The visitors on the boat are all standing up, dressed in their funny coloured hats. The crew all situated at the stern and the captain hands not on the rudder. They sighted something!

We stop our boat immediately and begin scanning the sea surface, our hearts racing faster with each passing second. Within two minutes there is the shout we were all waiting to hear: OUT! One fin. No... two fins!

It can only happen in June that the strange behaviour of a beautiful yacht allows us to find one of the rarest dolphin species in the central Mediterranean - two magnificent common dolphins. And not just any two common dolphins, but NIGEL and her son! We all shout and give each other a big hug! What a wonderful encounter!

We had met NIGEL last year in September. She was with three other adults, as well as her own newborn. Mortality is really high in the first year of life (even 50%). The former resident and previously abundant common dolphin community living around Kalamos has shown a continuous decline in the recent years, most likely due to the intensive exploitation of local fish stocks. So this encounter is really important because NIGEL-SON4, the fourth son of NIGEL, is still alive and apparently in good conditions (see the video) after one year.

This gives us new hope that it’s not too late for changing our destructive behaviour and making the Mediterranean a better place to live, for all species.

Marina Costa, Shiva Javdan and Marcel Clusa

Kalamos, 8-14 June

First of all, many thanks to my friend who showed me the article in a weekly newspaper called “Sonntagsblitz” because that was the begin of this wonderful week. Second, thanks to the team here in Episkopi in this week we where five Marina Shiva, Una, Marcel and me and the time I could spend in this team was definitely great!!! We have done and seen many things in this week so I can not tell which of the unbelievable moments was the best. All I can say that I am full of impressions and I am absolutely sure that I will come back again to Kalamos and the Tethys project. The last week was one of the best experiences of my life thanks to all an in future I will stay “positive” as well ;-)

Carola, Germany

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This is going to be short and sweet, like my stay here in Kalamos. Quite simply I had a fantastic time, without exaggeration one of the best weeks of my life! I loved every minute, learned a lot and had a good laugh. I love the atmosphere here and of course going out every day looking for dolphins. I love the passion these people have for their work (not something I have found in food technology). Marina is a wonderful teacher & I think Marcel and Shiva are following in her footsteps. Many thanks to Marina, Shiva & Marcel for making my (much too short ) time here so enjoyable and being such good company. My only regret is that I cannot stay longer. But I will definitely be back!

Una, Ireland

Turtles in trouble

The Marine Conservation Society together with the Travel Foundation and design company Juniperblue have recently produced an entertaining and educational cartoon called Turtles in Trouble.

The 8 minutes long animation is for everybody planning holidays in the Mediterranean, but it includes valuable advice relevant to all destinations where marine turtles may lay eggs.

The video effectively shows how simple changes in our behaviour while on holidays can make a big difference. As the video points out: “Turtles are in danger of extinction, and extinction is forever. But doing your bit, you can give this spectacular animals the chance to survive for generations to come”.

Silvia Bonizzoni

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To watch the video: Turtles in Trouble

Kalamos, June 8th, 2008

Today marks the completion of the first week of the 2008 season.

Although it started off with an incredible sighting of Fiocco, the rest of the week was less yielding. On Tuesday evening, while watching the beautiful sunset, we observed a group of dolphins midway between Kalamos and Lefkada. The sunset sighting got us pumped for the next few days of navigation, but sadly we were left with no results to feed our hunger until an exciting Thursday night.

On our way back from sightseeing in the village of Kalamos, we received a phone call from the manager of Episkopi that dolphins had been spotted on the channel between Mytikas and Episkopi. With our new found adrenaline, we raced back to the base in hopes of catching a glimpse of the dolphins before they left. Climbing out of the car and into the neighbour’s lawn, we battled wild plants (with a varying spike magnitude) and numerous spider webs (some of which we were unable to avoid :S). On top of the roof, we all intently looked at the channel for any sign of surface activity. To our luck, Marcel spotted two dolphins! And with that confirmation we were running back through the lawn and driving to the boat. Once out on the water, with the deceiving waves, we found the dolphin pair close to the Mytikas coast and we were thrilled that our jungle trek had been awarded.

The following day, Friday, also brought some exciting events to our plate. After four hours of navigation, we spotted three bottlenose dolphins at the Mytikas fish farm. The dolphins alternated between the fish farms and then coming to our boat to investigate. The relatively calm water allowed us to exchange looks with the curious animals as they passed under our boat. With approximately two hours of data collection, we had completely forgotten the week difficult weather and seemingly endless navigation. But that is the life of a researcher!

On Saturday, we sadly said goodbye to our first volunteers of the season and spent the rest of the day dealing with various errands, including a quick stop to Amvrakikos. In the evening, we made our way across the channel to Episokopi with our loads of groceries and admiring the beautiful sunset. Mesmerized by the picturesque sky, Marcel went to take a picture but accidentally hit his head on the boat and like a signal to cetaceans, Marina immediately spotted Spiti! We did not believe her at first, but soon it was clear that Spiti was passing by with two other dolphins. Quite a day!

With the house reaching perfection, and the dolphins welcoming us to their remarkable world, this season is looking to be an exciting and eventful one!

Shiva Javdan

Loss of large predatory sharks from the Mediterranean Sea

Several species of sharks in the Med have almost disappeared, their numbers 97% below what they were 200 years ago.

This is the scary figure that emerges from a new research (Loss of large predatory sharks in the Mediterranean), founded in part by the Lenfest Ocean Program, just published on Conservation Biology.

Fishing (both direct and by catch), coastal degradation and lack of management, coupled with the life history of sharks (who grow slowly, mature late and produce few young) caused this massive loss.

Blue, thresher, mako, porbeagle and hammerhead sharks have almost totally vanished in catch records from all sorts of different sources (tuna traps records, coast guard, fishing market, recreational fishing tournaments data) over the years, the authors found.

The consequences on the ecosystem of losing these key players is still poorly understood, as populations of other fish and invertebrates shift in unpredictable ways. But the extent of this collapse "may hold serious implications for the entire marine ecosystem, greatly affecting food webs throughout this region,” said the lead author of the study, Francesco Ferretti, a doctoral student in marine biology at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia.

Better management of shark fisheries is clearly needed to invert this trend.

Eleonora De Sabata

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For more information:
- The press release
- The Lenfest Report "Shark Declines in the Mediterranean sea: a summary of a new scientific analysis"
- Ferretti et al. 2008. Loss of large predatory sharks from the Mediterranean Sea. Conservation Biology.

Kalamos, 1-7 June 2008

If I were a good writer I would type some original, unique and fabulous lines that would impress whoever open this guestbook but, anyway, they would express exactly the same: thanks a lot for a magic week!

I should also write something a bit more “serious”, so here I go: I have participated as a volunteer in the IDP at Kalamos in the 1st week of June 2008. This field trip has been funded by the University of Ulster at Coleraine where I am doing a MRes project about cetacean habitat modelling. In this way, to be here during this week has been very instructive and helpful to better understand how cetacean data must be collected and stored.

Furthermore, this experience would not be the same without Marina, Marcel and Shiva who have kept Olivier and me alive on the boat. Honestly, congratulations guys because you are great and you are doing a fantastic job! (Although, I do not completely agree with your pasta diet :-P). All the best.

Minia, Spain

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This is my second time here in the Kalamos base, and I am still fascinated by the amazing atmosphere of this place. There is always a surprise around the corner: on the sea we saw Fiocco, the first common dolphin of the season (see post) and a couple of days later 3 young bottlenose dolphins swimming under the boat. It was fun to meet Marina again.

I thank Marcel and Adonis for teaching me a couple of useful Greek words to survive in a tavern. I thank Minia and Shiva for sharing their enthusiasm. If only I had tons of vacation days this summer, I would have spent some in Kalamos for sure.

I wish a long life to the IDP.

Olivier, France

Kalamos: third day of the season

June 4th, 2008: the third day of the 2008 season brought us the hot sun, the beautiful Ionian Islands and the ever changing wind.

Starting off east past Mytikas and Kalamos village, everyone kept their eyes peeled on the seemingly endless water for something to make its entrance into our world. We all hoped to see 'Fiocco' again, the common dolphin that gave a timid hello to us back on the first day (see post).

We followed along the waypoints of transect B until we saw something breach the water to our north. Leaving the transect we jetted to the potential area. Searching all around for another jump, we sadly did not spot an action again. Returning to the original transect we continued towards several fish farms along the Echinades coast.

Fish farms attract other fish around their premises when they are fed and increments of food sink outside the nets. Dolphins have learned that fish are often found around the farms and thus will often visit them. Unfortunately during this instant no dolphins were found around the fish farms, and thus we moved towards the neighbouring islands for protection from the deteriorating state of the sea. Taking a short break off a rocky coast, which included a chilly swim and some boat maintenance, we soon found the wind to change direction again.

Deciding that the sea state was not convenient for finishing the B-transect, we made our way through the Kalamos and Kastos channel. Passing Kalamos village, there was another jumping event to the west of the boat; but, once again it turned out to be a single instance. Before returning to Episkopi, we took a look at the Mytikas fish farms but they did not provide us with any dolphin sightings either.

We are looking forward to better weather and hopefully more common dolphin visits!

Shiva Javdan

Lone common dolphin near Kalamos

First day out at sea, first day of field research in Kalamos and first sighting of the season...

At 8 AM we are ready on the boat. "Transect A clockwise" is the survey we pick up randomly. The sea conditions just ideal. After 50 minutes of navigation: OUT!

A solitary fin appears 500 m from our boat and we (Marina, Marcel, Shiva and two volunteers: Olivier and Minia) are thrilled. As we approach the dolphin we have a strange feeling. It is small and dark, fast and swimming elegantly.

Everybody is thinking about what dolphin species it may be, but nobody wants to say a word before being sure... But yes - it is a small fin with a white patch! It is a short-beaked common dolphin!

This individual is a well known male nicknamed ‘Fiocco’, who has been visiting the Kalamos area since 1994, but has been absent over the last two years.

Wow! The first sighting of the season and we meet a common dolphin, now quite rare in this area (and elsewhere). We are literally frozen by the unexpected sighting, and it takes a while before we get fully organized for the data collection.

We look at him in silence, enjoying every seconds of this lucky and emotional event. Then we get back to the research: photo-identification and behavioural data collection.

It may sound ingenuous, but Fiocco gave us the innocent hope of seeing again all the 150 common dolphins that used to thrive in these waters, not too long ago.

Marina Costa, Marcel Clusa and Shiva Javdan

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More information about the common dolphins situation around Kalamos