There is a seabird that fishes offshore during the day and approaches the islands at night, where from March-April it nests in almost inaccessible reefs: Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea). The genus name Calonectris comes from ancient Greek “kalos” that means "good" and “nectris” that means "swimmer". These charming seabirds belong to the family Procellariidae (from the Latin “procella” whose meaning is “storm”), those birds that are comfortable in storms because they exploit the energy of the wind to fly thanks to the long pointed wings, ideal for making the most of the air currents. In fact, the more intense the wind conditions are, the more the shearwaters are active, while when there is calm they prefer not to move and remain floating on the water.  Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), Gulf of Taranto - Photo by Stefano Bellomo The life of the shearwaters takes place between the northern hemisphere, more specifically in the Mediterranean, where birds frequent the colony for reproduction in the period between February and October, and the southern hemisphere, between the coasts of Africa and South America, where the ocean becomes their home. Here they spend the winter months preparing for the long and fascinating migration (over 4,000 km) that will happen the following spring. Shearwaters return to shore in total darkness, to bring food to their offspring, and they signal their presence with a unique call in the animal world, a call that sounds like the cry of a newborn or that some people compare to the indistinct voices of girls. This sound is so particular that the myth of the mermaids song could have been born from it. Mermaids originating from Greek mythology are beings half women and half birds, different from the women with fish tail then widespread in folklore. At this YouTube link, you can discover the sound of Shearwaters: The image of the mermaid has been stratified over time by combining different myths and modern tales, making it completely different from its Greek origins and today if we try to imagine it, what comes to mind is the image of beautiful fish-women who attract sailors with a seductive song. In all likelihood, the transformation of the mermaids from bird-woman to fish-woman occurred in the following centuries, and the reasons for this mutation are presumably two: the first reason may derive from the fact that an amanuensis of the time made a mistake in writing the Latin word "pennis” (whose meaning is pen) writing instead “pinnis” which means, instead, fin. Another reason could derive from the spread of Christianity which saw these creatures as beings of evil.  Scopoli's shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea), Gulf of Taranto - Photo by Stefano Bellomo The scientific name of the shearwater, however, is linked to another mythological character: Diomede. Shearwaters are commonly called "diomedee", as they are also called today the wonderful Tremiti Islands, where the hero was buried. Following the legend, the marvellous sailor seabirds would be the companions of the famous Greek navigator, who have been transformed into birds to continue to visit Diomede’s grave.  Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), Gulf of Taranto - Photo by Stefano Bellomo In the past, these charming sailors, have inspired myths and legends. Nowadays, they are facing a threat and their survival is at risk. This "bitter enemy" is PLASTIC POLLUTION caused by humans, caused by us. As I wrote in my previous article "The plastic tale", about 90% of seabirds are estimated to have plastic in their stomach and shearwaters are among the species suffering this threat the most. So now my question is... do you want to be part of humans who dream and create stories for the next generations, or do you want to be part of those humans who put an end to all this?  Scopoli's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), Gulf of Taranto - Photo by Stefano Bellomo
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