Taras riding a dolphin is still nowadays the symbol of the town. Maybe Taras never existed but dolphins are spread along the coast and all over the Gulf of Taranto, a marine area of the Ionian Sea of approximately 14.000 Km² and that that involves 3 regions of South Italy: Puglia, Basilicata and Calabria. Here is where I work since 2016. I love this town for many reasons. Uncontaminated sandy beaches, crystalline clear waters and because of the inspiring passion of some people to fight to preserve Mother Nature. Some of those people are part of the Scientific Ngo called JONIAN DOLPHIN CONSERVATION (JDC) that since 2009 studies and preserve the cetaceans of the Gulf. After travelling all over Europe, after an experience studying Cetaceans in Madeira, I decided to dedicate my life to the JDC. There are 90 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, known collectively as "cetaceans" in the world. In the Mediterranean Sea there are 12 species, some of them are regularly sighted and some of them are rare. During the research activities and dolphin watching tours with the JDC I’ve encountered five of those species. Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). With a maximum length of 2,5-3 m, they usually live along the coastline. They are among the most intelligent species of our Planet and because of their proximity to the coast, they often interact with fishing gears. To date, this species is classified as “Vulnerable” in the Mediterranean Sea by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Bottlenose Dolphins - Gulf of Taranto Photo by Stefano Bellomo Moving from the coast to the open sea, we encounter another species and its dimensions are larger than the previous one: Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus). They are characterized by a unique colour pattern: newborns are gray, over the years become darker and, finally in their adulthood, they become slate gray. That’s not finished! Growing up, they accumulate so many scars on their bodies that they become almost white. These scars are mainly caused by social interactions with other Risso’s dolphins. To date, this species is classified as “Data Deficient” in the Mediterranean Sea by the IUCN. Risso's Dolphins - Gulf of Taranto Photo by Stefano Bellomo In the same deep habitat of the Risso’s dolphins, other three species of cetaceans populate the Gulf of Taranto. Striped Dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), the most abundant cetacean species of the Mediterranean Sea. Small, thin, extremely fast dolphins, they are widespread and it’s not rare to sight hundreds of individuals together. As well as the Bottlenose Dolphins, to date, they are classified as “Vulnerable” in the Mediterranean Sea by the IUCN. Striped Dolphins - Gulf of Taranto Photo by Stefano Bellomo Fourth species is the Short-Beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis), that, at a first glance, differ from the Striped Dolphin mainly for their colour pattern. Unfortunately, they have been sited just few times because they are the most endangered species of cetacean of the Mediterranean Sea, in fact they are classified as “Endangered” in the basin by the IUCN. Short-Beaked Common Dolphins - Gulf of Taranto Photo by Stefano Bellomo Same classification, “Endangered” in the Mediterranean Sea by the IUCN, for the last species: Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus), the largest predator of the Planet. Sightings of these large elusive animals are not rare and studies of photo-identification are ongoing by the JDC Team. Sperm Whales - Gulf of Taranto Photo by Stefano Bellomo Several species of cetaceans are preserved by many authorities worldwide but still, they are fighting to survive to many human threats such us chemicals, noise and plastic pollution, over-fishing and naval traffic. Dolphins and whales are defined as “key-stone species” of their habitats. It means that they play an important role for the survival of marine ecosystems, crucial sources of life for the whole Planet. For this reason, conservation actions in order to preserve their habitats are needed. The team of the JDC, collaborating with important public bodies such as the Department of Biology of the University of Bari and the C.N.R. (National Council of Research), has a mission: study and understand the world of cetaceans better and better in order to fight for the preservation of these amazing marine creatures.
The Gulf of Taranto has been cradle of ancient Greek legends where cetaceans were the protagonists. Nowadays new fascinating stories are taking place. Stories that tell about new heroes fighting for the preservation of dolphins and whales. I am part of the story and you can choose to join me as well as a protagonist. How? Easy. Reduce your consume of plastic. Don't buy tickets for captivity shows. Buy products from sustainable fisheries. Only join responsible whale and dolphin watching tours. Together we can save these animals which will inspire future generations for more and more amazing stories. I commenti sono chiusi.
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