So few dolphins in the Med these days.

[Ariadne]

Marine mammals are in serious decline all over the globe, shame but our human activities and greed have buggered it all up.

Over fishing - don't just blame the Japs tell your Mrs (or whoever) to stop buying tinned tuna, or any other tinned or fresh fish that would not normally be available in the area or out of season to dtart with. Stop eating Sashimi and sushi - one of the most lucrative markets for over fishing tuna. Southern Blue fin Tuna is biologically extinct as there are not enough left to sustain survival - but it's still being fished. Northern Blue fin tuna will go the same way in my childens lifetime, again no easing in the fishing effort. Don't blame the fishermen - they only supply a demand!

Oil & gas exploration and sysmic surveys are doing quite a bit of damage. But you will only find thier own impact assesments for public consultaion and then steam-rollered by lack of political will and greed.

Plastics and a throw-away society.

We humans have taken less than 150 years to f*&k the planet and it's not stopping is it.

 

[BrianH]

I haven't seen any in the Adriatic since this one photographed off Brac in 2005 and that was the first for quite a few years. I used to see more than one pod a year through a span of between 15 to 30 years.

A plea to other photo posters - keep the size down, large photos take the entire thread text off the screen (yes, that's every post) making it hopeless for reading on my small netbook on board.

 

[Kimmo]

We saw few dolphins last October on the coast of Barcelona. I think there were about five of them, swimming near the channel leading to the Barcelona commercial harbour. But those were the only ones we noticed.

But South Biscay was a different matter, the sea seems to be full of them and large groups of them too.

 

[catmandoo]

We were just commenting about this the other day. We did see quire a few dolphins until we got to Greece then have not seen any in the last year. Maybe we were lust unlucky, have seen plenty of turtles though

I saw 3 in Leros last week

 

[tcm]

The biggest pod i saw in quite few years was last year.

I don't agree with the self-flagellation that some practise, taking on all blame for all the ills of the planet. Animals become extinct all the time, have done before humans and will always continue to do so.

 

[Ionian Yacht Sales]

Dolphins spotted regularly along the inland sea near Lefkas Island this year...

 

[Petronella]

Dolphins off Kas

Finally left Kas in Southern Turkey. First day out, 3 dolphins off Kalkan. We still see them regularly during the year. Maybe, as previously posed, they just like the noise steel hulls make!

 

[capnsensible]

There are absolutely loads around the Strait of Gibraltar. The tourist boats are seeing them several trips a day in Algeceras Bay and Ive seen loads out in the Strait itself. Common and Striped.

Last week we saw, most unusually, a pod of 30 odd bottlenose off Punta Almina.
If I can ever work it out, got a vid that I dont know how to post!!!

My wife says you can find it on facebook, hercules sailing-rya training centre (sorry about the advertising).

Its tuna time here so I guess thats why loads have turned up for lunch.

Seen a couple of whales in the last few weeks too but no pictures and got no idea what sort, just bigguns.

 

[Mad Pad]

Anyone know what dolphin taste like?

 

[duncan99210]

We've been visited 3 times this year as we sailed from Corfu to Crotonne and then on to the Aeolian Island and then to Sardinia. Sometimes just a short visit but once a pod came to play for about 10 minutes in the bow wave. They seem to prefer visiting when we're sailing rather than when we're on the motor. Last year we didn't see many pods but we were in coastal waters most of the time; perhaps they are learning to stay away from the heavily netted areas?

 

[Zen Zero]

We saw just one last week about halfway from Nettuno to Ventotene. Swam up, had a quick look at us and swam away again. We were motoring in a flat calm.

 

[Mrs Springy]

We had a dolphin escort on Monday morning as we rounded Europa Point - very special.

We also saw a large pod yesterday off of Adra, a couple of them peeled off from their mates and came to play around the bow - special again.

However many times we see dolphins I still get over-excited!

Sorry but I don't know what type they were though.

 

[CharlesSwallow]

Last year we met some on just about every cruise which is just abouit normal. This year we have only been off the mooring for two weeks so far and havn't encountered any.

BTW. Excuse the personal question but don't you find those leather shoes a bit, well, "sweatty" in the Med. this time of year?

Chas

 

[akyaka]

2/3 dolphins sighted half way down the Gulf of Gökova today.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I haven't seen any in the Adriatic since this one photographed off Brac in 2005 and that was the first for quite a few years. I used to see more than one pod a year through a span of between 15 to 30 years.

We've had the opposite experience. Since moving to the Adriatic in 2010 after 7yrs in the W Med, hardly a trip goes by without seeing a dolphin. There seems to be a large pod between Brac and Hvar and we've seen others as far north as Istria and as far south as near Dubrovnik. I have noticed though that they tend to show more earlier in the season. Maybe there's a physiological reason for this reason but I like to think they just get bored after a few weeks of entertaining we humans

 

[grumpygit]

Last week saw two in the west entrance of the Poros lake. One had a red back fin or was wounded there. Probably by one of the many many 30 knot + ferry´s.

We have seen plenty around Poros too, we came across a pod of six last week. Always such a delight to see.

___________________________________________________________________

 

[vyv_cox]

Two days ago we crossed from Astipalaia to Nisiros. There is deep water most of the way across, 500 metres or more. We saw half a dozen or so whales breaching, leaping high into the air and raising splashes visible for a couple of miles. Not far off Kos we saw a pod of about four dolphins, one of which swam with us for a short time but then rejoined the others crossing our track.

 

[BrianH]

We've had the opposite experience. Since moving to the Adriatic in 2010 after 7yrs in the W Med, hardly a trip goes by without seeing a dolphin. There seems to be a large pod between Brac and Hvar and we've seen others as far north as Istria and as far south as near Dubrovnik. I have noticed though that they tend to show more earlier in the season. Maybe there's a physiological reason for this reason but I like to think they just get bored after a few weeks of entertaining we humans

Mike, I've not seen any yet at sea here in NE Italy but speaking to a friend just arrived from Brindisi he saw a lot, especially, as you report, off Istria. So I'm glad to know that my previous lack of sightings was just either being in the wrong place at the wrong time or that the tendency has reversed.

 

[capnsensible]

Ive always been a fan of whales tails.

http://acidcow.com/girls/16650-whale-tail-100-pics.html

 

[VADROUILLE]

Ive always been a fan of whales tails.

http://acidcow.com/girls/16650-whale-tail-100-pics.html

There is allways one who has to lower the tone........