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C - 1 : Dolphins!

Remember the many dolphins we saw when sailing in 2017 and 2018? Many of you asked whether we are going to see dolphins again this summer.

Dolphins riding the surf of our Carpe Diem on 14 August 2017

I was first sceptical - never saw dolphins in the Adriatic ever. But my last time sailing here is more than a decade back. I thought i better check.

Dolphin population in the Mediterranean today

The news is far more positive than expected. The Adriatic Sea is one of the places in the Mediterranean where dolphins do well - as they did during Roman times. The good news is the result of a significant preservation effort which is well described in the website below . Since 1987 the dolphin population is constantly monitored and we now start to understand how dolphins live in a large habitat.

The dolphin population also benefits from the massive investments in waste water treatment which is paid for by the EU since the late 1980s. The Adriatic Sea is today very clean - you will see this on the Dalmatian coast - it is clearly noticeable. The stock of fish thus recovered from the low levels in the 1970s and there is now ample food for the dolphins - and ample supply for the seafood restaurants - yummie!!!


Adriatic protection zone for sea mamals

The preservation effort is now well enshrined in the laws of Italy, Slovenia and Croatia. The northern part of the Adriatic is a conservation zone and dolphins remain on the listof endangered spieces. Occasionally they get trapped in fisher nets of large trawlers and then accidentally drawn. But most the time they are rescued and set free again.


Thus the answer to your question is a definite yes - keep your camera handy!!!!

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