For two years an unusual presence of young specimens has been observed in the north of Menorca
Scientists have managed to confirm the existence of a breeding area of sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) at a point north of Menorca, which would make this area the first breeding site for this species located to date in the Spanish Mediterranean. The announcement was made this Saturday during the XIII Congress of the Spanish Cetacean Society, held in Ibiza and which has brought together dozens of experts in the field.
The scientific director of Tursiops, Txema Brotons, explained during his speech at the congress that after the measurements and observations carried out during the last two years, it is possible to confirm the existence of this “nursery & rdquor; of sperm whales, a highly endangered species, of which in the entire Mediterranean there are only around 2,000 specimensas indicated.
“Two years ago we had signs of this hatchery, but after the work of these last two years, it can be concluded that it is so & rdquor ;, he explained.
In fact, since 2020 there have been sightings of numerous juvenile specimens in this area north of Menorca, and the case of the observation of 12 sperm whale calves in mid-June 2020 in this areawithin a group of 44 specimens in total, as this video shows:
These and other observations have been confirming a unusually high presence of young sperm whales at this point in the Mediterraneaneven higher than that observed in the nearby islands of Mallorca or Menorca, where the young have more discreet densities.
It is, according to Brotons, an “important” discovery, given the small number of sperm whales in the entire Mediterranean. “In the last three generations, this species has lost 70% of its numbers”he stressed.
Excluded zone of protection
However, the scientific director of Tursiops drew attention to the fact that the area identified as a sperm whale nursery is outside of a new marine protection zone currently being processed by the institutions. “A protection area is being designed to regulate navigation that leaves this area out.. This is something that has to be changed at the state level so that the proposal includes the north of Menorca, the east of Mallorca, the east of Ibiza and the south of Formentera”, Brotons pointed out.
It so happens that the location of this hatchery is, moreover, a place with little maritime traffictaking into account that the entire western Mediterranean is characterized by a large volume of cargo, passenger and recreational shipping.
Critically Endangered Monk Seal
During the XIII Congress of Cetaceans, the situation of the monk seal was also addressed, a species in a critical situation in the Mediterranean, and which maintains colonies in Turkey, Greece, Mauritania and Madeira. These “small towns & rdquor; total less than 900 copies. The urbanization of the coast is one of their main enemies, although they easily adapt to higher sea surface temperatures, explained Patricia Fernández, author of a study on the matter.
During the convention, some fishing gear for the trawl system that incorporates a modification that prevents accidental capture of dolphins and other large species. Nair Vilas-Arrondo indicated that this system is similar to the one that already exists to prevent the fishing of sea turtles and is very simple.
The mystery of the killer whales continues
The member of the Orca Atlántica entity, Alfredo López, explained the behavior observed in a group of 16 killer whales that are usually found in the Strait and in Galicia, almost all of them young, which for two years have rammed small boats, often causing damage to the rudder of said boats. These interactions with small or medium-length sailboats have not yet been satisfactorily explained, but López ruled out that they are generally due to a deliberate attempt to attack these boats.
“They are not angry, they are not aggressive animals, what they do is an activity of manipulation and dexterity and, sometimes, they break the rudder & rdquor ;, he affirmed.
So far this year, 180 interactions between killer whales and vessels have been recorded (slightly less than last year), and 30% of these episodes caused serious damage to the affected vessels, generally rudder breakage.
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