29 June 2016

Blow



The air exhaled by this bottlenose dolphin leaves a cloud of mist.

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

28 June 2016

Bruno and Lavinia



Prof. Bruno Cozzi with his former veterinary sciences student Lavinia Eddy.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Galaxidi, Greece)

27 June 2016

Surfacing



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

Staff



The staff during a lecture at the field station.

(Photos by M. Würsig)

26 June 2016

Bruno with dolphins



Bruno Cozzi, Professor of Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Padua and President of the Italian Society of Natural Sciences, during today's sighting of striped dolphins. Bruno and wife Elena spent a few days at our field station in Galaxidi.

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

Away from the sea



Silvia and Giovanni on a day off at Meteora, away from the sea.

(Photo by B. Würsig)

25 June 2016

In the wake



Striped dolphin playing in the wake of our boat.

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

Agreement with University of Bologna



Dolphin Biology and Conservation has stipulated a formal agreement with Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Italy, to allow for the participation of students in internship and thesis programmes.

The first student from the University of Bologna to participate in this programme is Laura Malaguti, who is going to spend 1.5 months at our field station in Galaxidi, Greece, in the context of her M.Sc. in Marine Biology.

24 June 2016

Heart-shaped flukes



The abnormal flukes of this individual, nicknamed 'Codo', are particularly small and rounded. Codo, a female, has been tracked in the Gulf of Corinth since 2009 and is one of the individuals most frequently observed in this area. One may wonder how Codo can swim with such reduced heart-shaped flukes, but she manages very well. Her tail stock has grown large and robust, and while Codo does not jump out of the water, she behaves like a normal bottlenose dolphin and is quite sociable.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni, Bay of Itea, Greece)

23 June 2016

22 June 2016

City dwellers



Bottlenose dolphin mother and calf observed yesterday off the coast of Itea, Greece.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

21 June 2016

Quicksilver



Striped dolphin fin in a quicksilvery sea.

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

Giovanni and Lavinia



Giovanni and Lavinia during a dolphin sighting.

(Photo by S. Bonizzoni)

20 June 2016

19 June 2016

Striped dolphin portrait



Striped dolphin photo by Bernd Würsig (Gulf of Corinth, Greece).

After the field course 2



Mel, Silvia, Lavinia, Sarah, Giovanni, Silvia and Bernd at Lake Plastiras, Greece.

(Top photo by B. Würsig, bottom by S. Piwetz)

After the field course 1



Giovanni, Silvia, Sarah and Lavinia at the Agios Stefanos Monastery, Meteora, Greece.

(Photo by B. Würsig)

17 June 2016

Theodolite tracking 2



Eva at the theodolite tracking station above the Galaxidi Marine Farm.

(Photo by S. Piwetz, Galaxidi, Greece)

Theodolite tracking 1



Texas A&M University students practicing theodolite tracking from the coast.

(Photo by S. Piwetz, Galaxidi, Greece)

16 June 2016

Early calf



One of the first striped dolphin calves observed this year.

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

Lavinia and Eva



Our wonderful field assistants for the Marine Biology Field Course, Lavinia Eddy and Eva Greene, at the castle of Nafpaktos, Greece.

(Photo by S. Piwetz)

15 June 2016

Bernd and Melany Würsig



Dr. Bernd Würsig and wife Mel at the castle of Nafpaktos, Greece.

(Photo by S. Piwetz)

On the Delphi-Kirra path



Marine Biology students and DBC staff members on the Delphi-Kirra ancient path.

(Photo by B. Würsig)

14 June 2016

Striped dolphin and TAMU students



Texas A&M University students during a striped dolphin sighting.

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

Visiting the Galaxidi Marine Farm



Texas A&M University students on a guided visit to the Galaxidi Marine Farm.

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

13 June 2016

The plight of Mediterranean common dolphins



A short article by Giovanni Bearzi, appeared in the June 2016 issue of OpenScience EU.

To download and read the article CLICK HERE

Watching dolphins from shore



Eva and Silvia watching bottlenose dolphins with Texas A&M University students, from a cliff above the Galaxidi Marine Farm.

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

12 June 2016

Striped dolphin mourning a dead conspecific 2



In all photos of the mourning dolphin, we noted that the individual alive keeps looking down at her/his dead companion, and never looks up at our boat. Dolphins lack muscles controlling facial expression, but eyes do reveal their feelings.

(Photos by S. Bonizzoni)

10 June 2016

Striped dolphin mourning a dead conspecific



This striped dolphin was observed yesterday, mourning a dead companion. The research team and the students on board were deeply impressed and saddened by the expressions of grief by the individual alive. We filmed, recorded underwater sounds and interviewed students -- to be featured in a future video.

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

09 June 2016

Breaching striped dolphins



Today's encounter with striped dolphins during the Marine Biology Course held annually in the Gulf of Corinth. These photos, taken at the same moment from each of our two boats, portray a breach performed by the same individual.

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

Bernd and Sarah



Prof. Bernd Würsig with his student and Ph.D. candidate Sarah Piwetz, at the monastery of Hosios Loukas.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

08 June 2016

Class time



Class time at the field station, during Texas A&M University's Marine Biology Field Course.

(Photos by S. Bonizzoni)

07 June 2016

Salp bloom



Silvia with Prof. Bernd Würsig and his marine biology students, observing a salp (Salpa maxima)—a tunicate species which is currently blooming in the Gulf of Corinth.

(Photos by G. Bearzi)

06 June 2016

Above the sea of olives



Bernd, Mel, Silvia and Eva with Texas A&M University students above the "sea of olives" (one of the largest olive groves in Europe). Itea, the Gulf of Corinth and the Peloponnese coast are visible in the background.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

05 June 2016

Bowriding



Striped dolphins bowriding.

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

Field briefing



A briefing at the field station before the beginning of the annual Marine Biology Field Course. Left to right: Sarah, Bernd, Lavinia, Eva, Mel and Silvia.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

02 June 2016

Peloponnese dolphin



A striped dolphin off the northern coast of the Peloponnese.

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

01 June 2016