Fin whale and bottlenose dolphin project in the Strait of Gibraltar

Photo Renaud de Stephanis

Fin whale in front of Tarifa in the Strait of Gibraltar

The following institutions are collaborating in this project:

LIFE02NAT/E/8610

The project on Mediterranean fin whales made a step forward this summer thanks to satellite tags placed on them near the french coast. In order to better understand the movements of this species, this winter, we will try to determine the crossing of fin whales through the Strait of Gibraltar. We have sightings of fin whales in spring and summer that are going out of the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic, but we have never observed them going back to the Mediterranean Sea. This project consists in putting volunteers on two sites on the spanish coast in the Strait who will be determining when and how many fin whales are crossing in winter.

Observation from land of fin whales

We will also study social structure in order to understand how the migration is done i.e. in a large group or lone individuals. Generally, in summer, they are travelling alone or by groups of 2-3 individuals.

Photo Renaud de Stephanis

Three fin whales travelling through the Strait

Furthermore, we will take data on bottlenose dolphins for the Life project LIFE02NAT/E/8610 which is with the SEC along the the coasts of Andalousia and Murcia.

Photo Renaud de Stephanis

Bottlenose dolphin jumping in front of a land searching station.

Many groups of volunteers will be taking in turns the entire winter to assure a permanent observation. They will be placed in two sites on the coast with binoculars and sighting forms.

Photos Renaud de Stephanis

Fin whales travelling near the moroccan coast of the Strait

For the volunteers please refer to the spanish page!