Want to browsefeline view and above all, much patience. It is what they have needed cetacean experts to sing bingo and finally to locate The desired ones eight of the Mediterranean. In 10 years of trajectory, they only lacked a chrome: the pilot whale. Until one spring day, a dark dorsal fin emerged from the water. It had a shape they weren’t used to recognising. And when the animal exposed the whole silhouette, there was no doubt. They had made it.
they had found a family of 13 membersWith babies and all. The pilot whale (actually not so common) is the species of Dolphin biggest of Mediterranean. It can grow to be twenty feet long and forms large family groups, but few details are yet known about its behavior. “We are very happywe knew they were around, but always they slipped out of our binoculars“, recounts abraham masbiologist of the entity, the only one dedicated to study of cetaceans in Catalonia.
The important thing about the news is that the unprecedented observation matches a fruitful year when collecting data. In all, they have scored 166 sightingswithout counting sharks, blankets either turtles. The king of the list is striped dolphina jumping cetacean that often approaches ships when they sail ahead of the Garraf.
Garrafenses neighbors
This piece of sea, in front of sitges either Vilanova i la Geltrúis ideal for the analysis of dolphins and whales, says Mas: “There are heterogeneous habitats: shallow places and others of great depthfrom between 1,000 and 2,000 meters“. What strikes many of these animals is a underwater canyon, with its valley of slopes and underwater plains. “The pilot whales, which eat only squid, or striped dolphins feed here,” Mas details.
In other parts of the Catalan coast the same type of explorations could be attempted, but no one is doing a systematic study in the Cap de Creus or in the Maresme.
Off our coasts, dolphins, an omen of good luck in myths, share a home with two great colossi: the sperm whale and the fin whale. The sperm whale is the largest predator in the world and it had not been seen near Catalonia for two years, something not very common. The fin whale is the second largest whale in the world. They usually locate it on these dates, from february to summer. This last year, the species was sighted 18 times“an important piece of information because it is a mammal about which very little is known,” says Mas.
All aboard
Actually, cetaceans in general are great unknownlaments this expert: “The observations have to be respectful, with distance and last a short time. You have to collect all information in a short time”, he details. The Cetàcea entity works with a team of volunteers who give their free time to these marine creatures.
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Their science excursions are open to all the world. He price It serves to collaborate with their homework, and on a lucky day, there is an option of finding a sperm whale, this movie animal that we have closer than it seems. Most likely, however, you will settle for striped or bottlenose dolphins, the dolphin that is domesticated in some zoos.
They also identify endangered birds such as the Balearic shearwater or birds with colorful beaks such as the puffin, which some look for in Iceland. Sometimes they enjoy the face turtles and are even surprised by a mako shark, a rare carnivore to see. This March they have scheduled departures every weekend.