30 August 2016

Bottlenose dolphins and trammel netter



Bottlenose dolphins surfacing near a trammel netter in the Bay of Itea.

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

29 August 2016

Early morning survey, wavy sea



We left the port early, when it was still dark, but sea conditions just weren't good enough for a survey. Nice sunrise though.

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

28 August 2016

Unusual leap



Striped dolphin performing an unusual kind of leap.

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

27 August 2016

Loggerhead sea turtle



Loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta swimming just below the surface. These beautiful animals appear to be increasing in our study area. This year we spotted up to twelve individuals in a single day of navigation with calm sea. That had never happened since the study started in 2009.

(Photo by L. Eddy, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

25 August 2016

Golden light



Bottlenose dolphins socialising in a golden early morning light.

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

24 August 2016

Yaya's melon



Risso's dolphin 'Yaya', showing her distinctive melon (the head organ used to direct echolocation sounds) and the vertical crease which divides the melon in two parts.

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

23 August 2016

Silvia with Risso's dolphin Yaya



Silvia photographing Risso's dolphin 'Yaya', who was encountered yesterday (for the first time this year) in a large group of striped dolphins.

Yaya is the only Risso's dolphin living in the Gulf of Corinth. We have been observing her regularly since 2010.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

21 August 2016

Common dolphin in the Gulf of Corinth



One of the very few 'pure' short-beaked common dolphins left in the Gulf of Corinth.

This individual was encountered today in a small group including a second common dolphin, two striped dolphins, and an individual of intermediate pigmentation.

For information on common dolphin conservation status in this semi-enclosed basin:
http://www.dolphinbiology.org/_download/literature/Bearzi_etal_2016_Ischia.pdf

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

Baby dolphin



In the Gulf of Corinth, most striped dolphin births occur in July and August. This baby was observed yesterday.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

20 August 2016

Free



Free to move around and free to stay with whoever they want. That's how dolphins and other animals are meant to live.

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

19 August 2016

Dolphin and trammel netter



Bottlenose dolphin surfacing near a trammel netter in the Bay of Itea.

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

16 August 2016

No shark



Shark fin?
Nope: the dented fluke of a bottlenose dolphin.

(Photo by L. Eddy, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

14 August 2016

Wary eye



The expressive and wary eye of a striped dolphin socialising with another individual near our research boat.

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

12 August 2016

Little tunny feeding



Little tunny Euthynnus alletteratus chasing small epipelagic fish at the surface. 

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

11 August 2016

Bottlenose dolphin head standing



Yesterday Lavinia photographed this bottlenose dolphin 'head standing', a behaviour which is rarely performed by this species. The dolphin 'stands' vertically out of the water, exposing her tail stock and dorsal fin. One wonders how thy can do the trick using only flippers as a propulsor (perhaps after having fully inflated their lungs). The meaning of this behaviour is unknown.

(Photo by L. Eddy, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)

10 August 2016

Farm dolphin



A bottlenose dolphin surfaces among fish farm buoys.

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

08 August 2016

Ventral view



Ventral view of a bottlenose dolphin.

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

07 August 2016

Breach



Striped dolphin breaching.

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

06 August 2016

Bowriding and socializing



Striped dolphins interacting socially while bowriding. The individual showing her belly is a female.

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

05 August 2016

Unhappy?



This bottlenose dolphin, observed today, has a superficial scar at the end of the mouth that makes him look slightly unhappy...

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

04 August 2016

Short‐beaked common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth are Critically Endangered



Our contribution to the Workshop "Conservation and research networking on short-beaked common dolphin in the Mediterranean Sea".

Download pdf of this paper

Bearzi G., Bonizzoni S., Santostasi N.L., Eddy L., Gimenez O. 2016. Short-beaked common dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth are Critically Endangered. Proceedings of the 1st International Workshop "Conservation and research networking on short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) in the Mediterranean Sea". Ischia Island, Italy, 13-15 April 2016, p. 42.

03 August 2016

Super-high jump comparison



Striped dolphins can jump high... but bottlenose dolphins seem to be the winners.

(Photos by G. Bearzi; left: Gulf of Corinth; right: Northern Evoikos Gulf, Greece)

02 August 2016

Super-high jump



Striped dolphin performing quite an extraordinary high jump.

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

01 August 2016

Open mouth



The open mouth of a bottlenose dolphin, showing an impressive dentition and the tongue.

(Photo by L. Eddy, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)