After a dolphin sighting

(Top photo by L. Eddy, bottom photo by G. Bearzi)

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)

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)

Unusual leap

Striped dolphin performing an unusual kind of leap.

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

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)

Golden light

Bottlenose dolphins socialising in a golden early morning light.

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

Dolphin and trammel netter

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

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

Striped dolphin calf

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

No shark

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

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

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)

Little tunny feeding

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

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

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)

Farm dolphin

A bottlenose dolphin surfaces among fish farm buoys.

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

Ventral view

Ventral view of a bottlenose dolphin.

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

Breach

Striped dolphin breaching.

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

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)

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)

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.

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)

Super-high jump

Striped dolphin performing quite an extraordinary high jump.

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

Open mouth

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

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