People in charge of the Ionian Dolphin Project announced that they need our help to save the marine wildlife of the Ionian Sea. What’s our difficult task, you wonder? We should report sightings of dolphins or whales while sailing the Ionian waters. And it becomes even more difficult– it’s free, so you can report it online and help scientists of the Tethys Research Institute map the habitat of cetacean species present in the area.
Tethys Research Institute is a non-profit organization for the study and conservation of the marine environment and is now running this innovative “Be Dolphin Smart” project.
Researchers, with their 20-year-long experience, have made a list of tips on dolphin watching. They inform us that the waters of Greece still harbour a remarkable diversity of cetacean fauna compared to other parts of the Mediterranean.
Unfortunately, fishermen of the broader area are pretty aware of this fact since they kill many dolphins and sea turtles each day “because they destroy their fishing nets.”
So, if you are not one of these professionals who look down on this type of marine fauna and come across such species while sailing, here is how you should do to BE DOLPHIN SMART:
-Stay back 50 metres from dolphins (100m from whales)
-Move away cautiously if dolphins/whales show signs of disturbance (sudden change in behavior)
-Always put your engine in neutral when dolphins/whales are near
-Refrain from feeding, touching, or swimming with wild dolphins
-Teach others to be DOLPHIN SMART
If you feel like supporting the Ionian Dolphin Project, and come across a dolphin during your sailing tour around the Ionian Sea or the Ambracian Gulf, please follow the following link to report a sighting or be further informed about the project: http://ioniandolphinproject.org/
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
