29 September 2014

Adults and baby



A baby striped dolphin approaches our boat, escorted by three adults.

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

At Hosios Loukas



A mosaic at the Byzanthine monastery of Hosios Loukas, Greece.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

28 September 2014

One boat, two fins



Two striped dolphins swim towards a transiting trammel netter with longline gear. Two fishermen on board don't seem to notice the animals.

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

Bottlenose dolphin at fish farm



A bottlenose dolphin visiting the fish farms near Galaxidi. Feeding in the proximity of aquaculture facilities has become routine for bottlenose dolphins in Greece (and elsewhere).

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

25 September 2014

Delphi's Melancholy Roman



This stunning portrait of a man can be viewed at the archeological museum of Delphi, near our Galaxidi field station. It is known as "Melancholy Roman" and dates back to ca. 195 B.C.

(Photo by D. Knäbel)

Air/water interface



A striped dolphin about to surface.

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

24 September 2014

Yaya with striped dolphins



Yaya, the only Risso's dolphin Grampus griseus living in the Gulf of Corinth, swims in close association with striped dolphins and their calves.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

Galaxidi windmill



The windmill on the hill overlooking Galaxidi, Greece.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

23 September 2014

Two dorsal fins



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

Survey design



Silvia and DBC field assistant Lavinia Eddy transcribe latitude and longitude data from nautical charts to define dolphin survey transects.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

22 September 2014

Late evening reflection



A juvenile striped dolphin leaps in the late evening.

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

21 September 2014

Short-beaked common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth



Only a few short-beaked common dolphins Delphinus delphis survive in the Gulf of Corinth. This is a rare image of two individuals jumping together.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

Dolphin research trio



Silvia, Lavinia and Nicola during a sighting.

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

20 September 2014

Cloudy



Striped dolphins under a cloudy sky.

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

19 September 2014

Overfishing on our doorstep



On 18 September about 500 tuna were landed overnight in Galaxidi by a single purse seiner.

(Photo by N. Stoppelli, Galaxidi, Greece)

18 September 2014

Umbrella squid



The remains of an umbrella squid found floating adrift. The arm web responsible for its common name was largely eaten up by birds (see previous post).

(Photo by D. Knäbel, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

Squid lunch



A Scopoli's shearwater eating a deepwater squid floating adrift — likely the umbrella squid Histioteuthis bonnellii.

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

17 September 2014

Unusual baby face



This striped dolphin calf has a marked malformation of its upper jaw. However, that may not be a reason of concern: viable adults with similar malformations (e.g. THIS ONE) have been encountered in the same area.

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

16 September 2014

Purse seiners: deceivingly beautiful



The aspect of this purse seiner photographed a few days ago in the Bay of Itea is deceiving. Beautiful, but also one of the main threats to coastal marine biodiversity in Greece.

In the Inner Ionian Sea Archipelago, purse seining was shown to be one of the main reasons behind the precipitous decline of short-beaked common dolphins. Purse seiners and bottom trawlers simply take too much fish, depleting biodiversity and wiping out the dolphins' prey. Back in 2009, a Call was made to allow for dolphin recovery, to no avail.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

15 September 2014

Aiming at the sky



A mature striped dolphin aiming at the sky.

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

September rainbow


September rainbow on the island of Agios Georgios.

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

14 September 2014

On a spectacular calm sea



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

Heart of Galaxidi

The church of Agios Nikolaos, heart of Galaxidi, Fokida. Itea and Chrisso are visible in the background.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

13 September 2014

12 September 2014

Pink belly



The belly of this female striped dolphin has a markedly pink pigmentation.

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

After a long survey



Valeria, Silvia, Catarina and Giovanni on the inflatable after a long boat survey in the western Gulf of Corinth.

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

11 September 2014

Not a worry



This well known "humpbacked" striped dolphin was socializing intensively yesterday, again showing that its dorsal deformity isn't much of a worry.

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

Fluke



One lobe of a striped dolphin's "tail".

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

On the inflatable



Silvia with our field assistants Ana Catarina Cardoso Fonseca and Valeria Senigaglia during a sighting.

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

09 September 2014

Slow down when dolphins are present


The wounds of this adult striped dolphin, encountered yesterday, may be caused by a propeller. Striped dolphins' unwary behaviour towards boats demands slow speed, gentle driving and awareness of collision risk.

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

Two dolphins from above



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

08 September 2014

Slim and tiny



A short-beaked common dolphin adult (with a faded pigmentation possibly related to striped dolphin genes) accompained by a newborn calf (also of somewhat intermediate pigmentation). This baby dolphin was slim and tiny, but also lively and energetic. Note its disproportionally large dorsal and pectoral fins.

The couple was photographed last August, when we observed a high number of births.

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

07 September 2014

A closer look



A striped dolphin has a closer look at the people on board.

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

06 September 2014

05 September 2014

02 September 2014

Feeding frenzy



Scopoli's shearwaters Calonectris diomedea and small tuna feast on epipelagic fish in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)