Aurelio D'Agostino: where it all started

Aurelio D'Agostino, MD, observing bottlenose dolphins off Galaxidi, Greece.

Thirty years ago, Aurelio—Giovanni's family physician—reported seeing dolphins on a regular basis east of the island of Losinj, Croatia. Information provided by Aurelio prompted Giovanni to move to Losinj and start studying bottlenose dolphins from inflatable boats. That is where it all started. Study areas and methodology have changed, but the basic approach and passion have remained the same.

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

Late September dawn

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

Two heads

Two bottlenose dolphin heads.

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

Dolphin sunrise

Bottlenose dolphins at sunrise.

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

Bottlenose dolphin newborn

Newborn bottlenose dolphin with mother and escort.

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

Newborn dolphin around fish farm

A newborn bottlenose dolphin approaches a fish farm with its mother. Since they are born, baby bottlenose dolphins have opportunities of learning how to take advantage of wild fish attracted by the cages: a behaviour that will be crucial for their future survival.

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

Juvenile striped dolphin

Juvenile striped dolphin surfacing besides an adult.

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

Near the church

Bottlenose dolphins socialising near the church of Agios Georgios, an island close to Galaxidi.

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

Getting physical

Bottlenose dolphins getting physical.

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

Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus

Giovanni found this amazing bird in the middle of the road with a broken wing. It is a nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus.

The bird was syringe-fed by Lavinia at the field station for a few days, based on directions received from ANIMA (a Greek organisation concerned with wildlife rescue). Once the nightjar looked like she was doing better, Silvia sent her to ANIMA in Athens for appropriate care and rehab.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Galaxidi, Greece)

Apocalyptic sky

This morning's (almost) apocalyptic sky before a rainstorm.

(Photo by G. Bearzi, Galaxidi, Greece)

Dolphin navel

A female striped dolphin showing her pinkish belly and navel.

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

Atlantic tripletail Lobotes surinamensis

An unusual encounter: the Atlantic tripletail Lobotes surinamensis. This large individual was hiding under a floating plastic sheet drifting offshore, in the company of juvenile greater amberjack Seriola dumerili and horse mackerel Trachurus trachurus.

Thank you Patrick Louisy for identification of the tripletail.

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

Dolphins and fishing boat

Bottlenose dolphins near an artisanal fishing boat from Galaxidi.

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

Among buoys

A bottlenose dolphin surfaces among fish farm buoys.

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

Not only dolphin research

Silvia and Lavinia replacing plants that did not survive the dry hot summer.

(Photo by G. Bearzi)

Morning farm

Watching the Galaxidi Marine Farm in the early morning.

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

Young dolphin

A young striped dolphin.

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

Leaving early

Yesterday we left the port in the early morning for another survey of the Gulf.

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

Before sunrise

Watching bottlenose dolphins before sunrise is a remarkable experience.

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

In the field with dolphins

Silvia photographing bottlenose dolphins near the Galaxidi fish farm.

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

Second bottlenose dolphin newborn

The second bottlenose dolphin newborn observed since our study started in 2009 was encountered yesterday, in a group of eleven individuals.

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

Dolphin and gull

Bottlenose dolphin 'standing' under a seagull, near a coastal fish farm.

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

Bottlenose dolphins socialising

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

Octopus signature

Parallel circular markings (shown by arrows) near the mouth of this bottlenose dolphin were likely left by the suckers of a large cephalopod, perhaps an octopus.

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

Too close

When striped dolphins breach so close to our boat they just don't fit in the photo frame...

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

Dolphins and fish farm workers

Bottlenose dolphins and Galaxidi Marine Farm workers.

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

Bottlenose dolphin near Kirra

Bottlenose dolphin jumping near Kirra, in the Bay of Itea.

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

Dolphins in a Scaled-Down Mediterranean: The Gulf of Corinth's Odontocetes

This article has just become available online. It summarises results from five years (2011-2015) of research on striped dolphins, short-beaked common dolphins, individuals of intermediate pigmentation (possibly striped/common dolphin hybrids), common bottlenose dolphins, one Risso's dolphin and other marine fauna in the Gulf of Corinth, Greece.

It is part of Elsevier's Advances in Marine Biology book series (Volume 75: Mediterranean Marine Mammal Ecology and Conservation). A pdf copy of the article can be downloaded from the link below by those having access to Elsevier publications: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/bs.amb.2016.07.003
Alternatively, it may be requested to the authors by email: admin@dolphinbiology.org

Lavinia and dolphin

Lavinia observing a striped dolphin from our inflatable.

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

Tentacles

While we are tracking striped dolphin movements we sometimes find remains of deepwater cephalopods at the surface. We routinely collect, photograph and sample them. Most of the time, it is the long-armed squid Chiroteuthis veranyi or the umbrella squid Histioteuthis bonnellii. The species shown here is still unidentified.

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

Mother and newborn

Striped dolphin mother with her newborn calf.

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

On a walk

Giovanni and Silvia on a walk.

(Photo by S. Piwetz)

Making contact

Striped dolphins making contact.

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