A contemplative moment

Isabelle and her daughter Elena drop their data collection forms and enjoy a contemplative moment as dolphins approach our research boat.

Isabelle and Elena are currently attending a marine biology course organized by us in partnership with OceanCare.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Gulf of Corinth, Greece, July 2013)

Striped dolphins "porpoising"

"Porpoising" is a rather weird term. It is used to define speedy swim characterized by repeated leaps. It comes from a past when dolphins were sometimes called "porpoises".

Today, however, the word "porpoise" is used to describe a small cetacean of the family Phocoenidae, and "porpoising" should probably be dismissed.

(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

Striped dolphin baby - 3

The pigmentation pattern of this newborn, jumping besides its presumed mother (a "pure" striped dolphin) suggests that some progenitor may be a short-beaked common dolphin.

Individuals with intermediate striped/common dolphin pigmentation are not unusual in the Gulf of Corinth, where the two species are sometimes found in mixed groups. 

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

Striped dolphin baby - 2

A striped dolphin newborn shows that jumping doesn't take long to learn, and it is fun.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

Trio

Silvia, Giovanni and Nina in Galaxidi.

(Photo by Jens Kramer, July 2013)

Blue whale from above

On July 26th, 2013, DBC's Science Advisor Bernd Würsig photographed this blue whale Balaenoptera musculus off San Diego, CA.

The image is amazingly sharp (even when magnified), considering it was taken at distance of about 600m, from the open port of a circling twin engine aircraft.

Bernd used a Nikon D800 camera equipped with a AF-S Nikkor 80-400mm f 4.5-5.6 lens (set at 400mm, f 5.6, vibration reduction "normal"). The camera was set at ISO 320, 1/1,600 sec.

(Photo by B. Würsig taken under NMFS Permit #14451)

Interviewing fishermen - 3

Silvia interviewing a fisherman in the Argolikos Gulf, Greece.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

Striped dolphin textures - 2

Pectoral fin and pigmentation patterns of striped dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

Striped dolphin textures - 1

Pectoral fins and pigmentation patterns of striped dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

Little owl

A little owl Athene noctua often lands on our neighbour's chimney.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Galaxidi, Greece)

Not just another pretty face

The unusual look of a Critically Endangered leatherback sea turtle Dermochelys coriacea surfacing in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.

For additional information and to view an underwater image of this animal see THIS POST.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

Striped dolphin in the Gulf of Corinth

The sheer elegance of a striped dolphin aiming at the sky.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

A reunion

Marine and freshwater researchers Nina Santostasi, Marina Costa, Chiara Piroddi, Silvia Bonizzoni, Marcello Cazzola and Giovanni Bearzi meet in Galaxidi, Greece.

(Top and bottom photos by G. Bearzi, centre photo by N. Santostasi, July 2013)

Striped dolphin behaviour

This individual performed a series of particularly high leaps, in an unusual burst of adrenaline.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

Striped dolphin baby - 1

A striped dolphin newborn closes the exposed eye in response to the strong sun, as it surfaces besides an adult (most likely the mother) in the Gulf of Corinth.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

Elena with dolphins

Elena, age 12, yesterday, on her first encounter with striped dolphins. Elena would like to become a marine biologist.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Gulf of Corinth, Greece, July 2013)

The olive grove of Amfissa

The olive grove of Amfissa, Greece (just under Delphi) is said to count as many as 1,200,000 olive trees. This is a land that has been producing excellent olives and oil for many centuries.

(Photo by Jens Kramer, July 2013)

Jens Kramer

Photographer / videographer Jens Kramer of Design Armada spent two weeks working with us to make a film about our dolphin research and conservation activities in the Gulf of Corinth, supported by OceanCare.

Jens managed to take excellent underwater footage of dolphins and he covered some of the diversity and beauty of our study area.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Galaxidi, Greece, July 2013)

Fishing boat in Greece - 2

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

Striped dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

Interviewing fishermen - 2

Silvia interviewing a fisherwoman in the Argolikos Gulf, Greece.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

Stormy weather

Yesterday Silvia, Nina and Jens were following a group of striped dolphins on a flat sea when weather conditions suddenly changed. These images were taken by Jens with his GoPro camera, before the storm started hitting real hard. Silvia did a good job with the steering, and the crew returned safely, if soaked, to the port of Galaxidi.

(Photos by Jens Kramer / Design Armada / OceanCare, July 2013)

Jellyfish hats

In the summer of 2012 "jellyfish hats" were quite voguish among striped dolphins living in the Gulf of Corinth :-)

(Top photo by S. Bonizzoni, bottom photo by G. Bearzi, August 2012)

Striped dolphin and jellyfish

Aiming at Mediterranean jelly Cotylorhiza tuberculata was a popular sport among striped dolphins in the summer of 2012.

When these jellyfish bloom in the Gulf of Corinth, striped dolphins enjoy targeting them with their rostrum or using them as body sponges.

(Photos from video by G. Bearzi)

Fishing lesson

Dimitris explains to Sarah how to fold a trammel net.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Galaxidi, Greece, July 2013)

Dolphin Biology People: Sarah

Sarah Piwetz must be one of the sweetest and most caring persons on Earth. We spent nine months with her while we were at Texas A&M University at Galveston, and ever since we left the U.S. we wanted to see her again and work together. Sarah then came to help us with our dolphin research in the Gulf of Corinth. The time she spent with us made our bond even stronger.

As a Ph.D. student at TAMUG, Sarah investigates human impact on cetaceans in several areas around the world. She has studied western gray whales off Sakhalin Island, Russia, common bottlenose dolphins off Galveston, Texas, indo-Pacific humpback dolphins off Hong Kong, dusky dolphins off Kaikoura and in Admiralty Bay, New Zealand as well as in Golfo San José, Argentina. In her (scarce) free time, Sarah volunteers at the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network. 

We hope that Sarah will soon come back to Greece and bless us with her smile.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Osios Loukas, Greece, July 2013)

Interviewing fishermen - 1

Silvia interviewing a fisherman in the Argolikos Gulf, Greece.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, June 2012)

Fishing boat in Greece - 1

A small wooden boat in the Northern Evoikos Gulf, Greece.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, October 2010)

At sea

Silvia breezing through waves in the Gulf of Corinth.

(Photo by Jens Kramer / Design Armada / OceanCare, July 2013)

Dolphin Biology People: Demetrius

Demetrius Andressakis' father was a lighthouse keeper and a fisherman. During the summer months, their family lived on a tiny island off Galaxidi, and young Demetrius would be dropped on the mainland by his father to cross the forest and bring the catch of the day to be sold at the Galaxidi fish market. While Demetrius then moved to the U.S. and worked for many years as an engineer, he keeps coming to Galaxidi for several months every year, setting his trammel nets as his father did, with the same old wooden boat. Demetrius has lots of stories to tell about the Gulf of Corinth and the ecosystem changes he witnessed during his lifetime. He is always eager to share those stories with us and with the people who join our research team to study dolphins.

(Photo by B. Würsig, June 2013)

Morning fins

These common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus were encountered near Galaxidi in the morning. The group, including seven individuals, was followed by Silvia, Nina, Ines and Jens for several hours as its members moved across the Bay of Itea – occasionally engaging in surface feeding or stopping for a picnic at the local fish farm.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, July 2013)

Blue

Silvia and OceanCare collaborator Annina Zollinger Fischer with striped dolphins (photo by S. Piwetz, July 2013).

Height doesn't matter

A truly amazing dolphin research team: Nina, Silvia and Sarah.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Galaxidi, Greece, July 2013)

Plastic games

A striped dolphin (above) and a short-beaked common dolphin (below), members of the same group, play with the same plastic bag.

In the Gulf of Corinth – and anywhere else in the Mediterranean Sea – there is no shortage of such "toys".

(Both photos by S. Bonizzoni, July 2013)

Neither striped nor common: intermediate

This beautiful calf photographed in the Gulf of Corinth is likely the offspring of a striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba and a short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis – as suggested by the intermediate pigmentation pattern.

Although striped and common dolphins belong to different genera, they can mate and reproduce when they live in mixed groups, as they do in the Gulf of Corinth. We suspect that these hybrids are, in turn, able to produce viable offspring.

Because common dolphins are scarce (about 30 individuals estimated in 2009*) and striped dolphins abundant (about 800-900 estimated in 2009*), interbreeding will likely result in a "dilution" of common dolphin genes into the much larger gene pool of striped dolphins.

We are currently testing the hypothesis that "pure" common dolphins may vanish over time, and be progressively replaced by hybrids like the one above.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, July 2013)

* Bearzi G., Bonizzoni S., Agazzi S., Gonzalvo J., Currey R.J.C. 2011. Striped dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece: abundance estimates from dorsal fin photographs. Marine Mammal Science 27(3):E165–E184. 

Fish farm worker in Greece - 1

Northern Evoikos Gulf, Greece, October 2010 (photo by G. Bearzi)

Wounded flukes

The flukes of this striped dolphin photographed in the Gulf of Corinth carry wounds that might be caused by a boat propeller (also see THIS POST). A reminder to slow down and avoid sudden changes of speed or route when the dolphins are around.

This photo was taken by Sarah Piwetz in July 2013, as the animal passed by our inflatable.

Yaya is still around

According to Frantzis and Herzing (2002), two Risso's dolphins Grampus griseus used to live in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.

Since our work in the Gulf started in 2009, however, we have only seen one Risso's – a female we nicknamed Yaya. She is normally encountered once or twice a year, always within large groups of striped dolphins (and a few short-beaked common dolphins).

Yaya was observed again this week.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, July 2013)


Frantzis A., Herzing D.L. 2002. Mixed-species associations of striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), short-beaked common dolphins (Delphinus delphis), and Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) in the Gulf of Corinth (Greece, Mediterranean Sea). Aquatic Mammals 28:188-197.

Marine Biology Course feedback

Giovanni, Silvia, Nina and the coolest mascots Sheepie and Eeyore,
thanks for sharing the pictures! They are as amazing as the experience I had there in Greece. You all truly are inspirations for me to become the best marine biologist that I can be. I wish you the best!
Bzzzzzzz,

-- Mariana Ferreira Da Silveira

(Photo by N. Santostasi, June 2013)

Bowriding a fancy yacht

A striped dolphin rides the bow of a yacht in the Gulf of Corinth, while two crew members enjoy the view from above (photo by S. Bonizzoni, July 2013).

Inflatable trio

Giovanni, Nina and Silvia on the inflatable.

Photos by L. Lagassee (top), and B. Würsig (bottom); June 2013

Marine Biology Course feedback

Thank you all so much for everything... For putting things in perspective and for helping me put a stamp on my career decision. You're all a big force for change, I hope you know that, and even though things don't change overnight... you are truly making waves. I think we are all proof of that. You opened our eyes to so many things, you welcomed us into your life and showed us the best possible time.

-- Farai Churu

(Photo by N. Santostasi, June 2013)

Bottlenose sturdiness

Two sturdy bottlenose dolphins surface at unison in the Northern Evoikos Gulf, Greece (photo by S. Bonizzoni, March 2011).

Striped dolphin behaviour

A kind of forward breach commonly performed by striped dolphins when they get excited. This behaviour is typically repeated several times by the same individual, with decreasing intensity (photo by S. Bonizzoni, June 2013).