(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
31 July 2014
30 July 2014
Mother and calf
A striped dolphin mother swims by our boat accompanied by her calf.
(Photo by M. Ferreira Da Silveira, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
Bowriding a fishing boat
A bottlenose dolphin bowrides an artisanal trammel netter in the Bay of Itea, Greece.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)
29 July 2014
Early morning data
Conny and Markus recording early morning dolphin data.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
28 July 2014
Striped dolphin with unusually pigmented rostrum
The rostrum of this striped dolphin photographed in the Gulf of Corinth has an unusual and very elegant pigmentation.
(Both photos by S. Bonizzoni)
Fisherman's smile
Iannis is a particularly friendly artisanal fisherman deploying trammel nets in the Gulf of Corinth.
(Photo by G. Bearzi, Paralia Saranti, Greece)
27 July 2014
Daily catch
The modest daily catch of an artisanal fisherman.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Southern Evoikos Gulf, Greece)
26 July 2014
25 July 2014
I'm coming
An exuberant striped dolphin swims towards our boat.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
24 July 2014
Artisanal fisherman in Greece
An artisanal fisherman operating trammel nets in the Southern Evoikos Gulf shows his daily catch.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)
More striped dolphins underwater
Striped dolphins filmed with a pole-mounted GoPro camera (we do not swim with dolphins).
(Screenshots from video by G. Bearzi, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
23 July 2014
Kostas and Vangelis
Artisanal fishermen Kostas and Vangelis set their nets in the Bay of Itea, Greece.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)
Do what your mother does
A striped dolphin calf imitates its mother.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
22 July 2014
Field data on paper
Observing striped dolphins and recording group size and behaviour data onto printed forms. While computer-assisted data collection is often convenient, some field data are easily and reliably recorded on paper.
(Photo by M. Ferreira Da Silveira, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
Dorsal fins scaled
This image shows the proportion between the dorsal fin of a Risso's dolphin and those of striped dolphins (one adult and one calf). The large animal is of course "Yaya", the only Risso's dolphin found in the Gulf of Corinth.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)
21 July 2014
Imperial blackfish and loggerhead sea turtle (the odd couple)
Juvenile imperial blackfish Schedophilus ovalis find shelter under jellyfish and other floating objects adrift (also see THIS POST). This individual chose... a juvenile loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta.
While the fish has grown larger than the turtle, who can no longer provide an appropriate shelter, the two seemed unseparable. A group of striped dolphins encountered them and a dolphin kicked the turtle with its flukes. However, the imperial blackfish would not run away, always staying in the turtle's shade.
The odd couple kindly let us approach for a minute and film them with a pole-mounted camera. We hope that nobody will take advantage of their confident behaviour, or break their bond.
(Screenshot from video by S. Bonizzoni)
20 July 2014
Prior to surfacing
A striped dolphin exhales prior to surfacing. Two others swim underneath.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
Catch of the day
This much fish will hardly cover the cost of petrol. Not a good day for this artisanal fisherman operating trammel nets in the Gulf of Corinth.
Many artisanal fishermen blame declining catches on overfishing by trawlers and purse seiners.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Itea, Greece)
19 July 2014
Stingy catch
Common stingrays Dasyatis pastinaca are plentiful this year, and artisanal fishermen in the Bay of Itea complain because they catch too many of them. Stingrays have little if any market value: they are mostly considered as bycatch and discarded once dead (like the animal portrayed in this image). Proliferation of stingrays is often associated with ecosystem unbalance caused by overfishing and other anthropogenic causes.
(Photo by M. Ferreira Da Silveira)
Multi-species, multi-age group
Female Risso's dolphin "Yaya", the only member of her species living in the Gulf of Corinth, is always found in mixed groups with striped and (sometimes) short-beaked common dolphins.
Here Yaya swims in the company of two striped dolphins with their calves (one calf swims under the mother to the left), and one short-beaked common dolphin with her calf.
(Photo by M. Ferreira Da Silveira)
18 July 2014
Monastery smiles
Mariana and Silvia at the Byzantine monastery of Hosios Loukas, Greece.
(Photo by S. Schöffel)
New Hope
The female nicknamed "Hope" is one of the very few short-beaked common dolphins surviving in the Gulf of Corinth (just a few tens individuals, and declining).
Two days ago Hope was sighted together with a small calf. The calf looked like a striped dolphin, possibly being the outcome of inter-specific breeding with a male striped dolphin (or alternatively a pure striped dolphin calf that Hope was temporarily babysitting).
Hope and the calf approached our boat for a short while, allowing Silvia and Mariana to take these photos. The baby looked healthy and energetic.
(Two top photos by S. Bonizzoni, bottom by M. Ferreira Da Silveira)
17 July 2014
Hermann's tortoise
This Hermann's tortoise Testudo hermanni was found in the middle of the road near Desfina, Greece, and relocated to a safer spot.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)
16 July 2014
Bottlenose dolphins nearshore
Four bottlenose dolphins in search of food approach a beach where people are bathing. Nobody seems alarmed or particularly surprised.
(Photos by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
15 July 2014
Fish farm dolphin
This is about as close as a bottlenose dolphin can get to fish farm cages.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
14 July 2014
13 July 2014
12 July 2014
Artisanal fisherman in Greece
An artisanal fisherman fixes his nets in the port of Itea, Greece.
(Photo by G. Bearzi)
11 July 2014
10 July 2014
Imperial blackfish
Two beautiful imperial blackfish Schedophilus ovalis found shelter under an old fridge floating adrift in the Gulf of Corinth.
Juveniles of this species are known to hide under jellyfish or floating objects. It is the first time we see these animals in Greece.
(Screenshots from video by S. Bonizzoni)
09 July 2014
Piper gurnard
A beautiful demersal fish: the piper gurnard Trigla lyra. This was a small (about 15 cm long) individual for sale on an artisanal trammel netter.
(Photo by G. Bearzi, Itea, Greece)
Power exhalation
A striped dolphin exhales before performing a breach.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
08 July 2014
Water layers
Layers of seawater draw patterns on the body of this breaching striped dolphin.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
07 July 2014
Rocket dolphin
A juvenile striped dolphin takes off.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
06 July 2014
Daily catch
An artisanal fisherman sells his daily catch in the port of Itea, Greece.
(Photo by M. Ferreira Da Silveira)
05 July 2014
Bird food
An unidentified seabird (possibly Puffinus sp.?) intently feeds on a largely decomposed European conger.
(Photo by M. Ferreira Da Silveira, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
04 July 2014
In transition
The beauty of a striped dolphin in transition from water to air.
(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Gulf of Corinth, Greece)
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