Dear all,
a quick update on our investigation in Italy regarding the beaked whales
in the Ionian Sea. As you know, on December 1st two Cuvier's whales
stranded along the Italian coast of Calabria, on the Ionian side, just
few hours after the report of Alexandros in Greece. The two whales were
an adult female found dead (very well preserved carcass) and a young
calf (likely maternally dependant from the other one) which was alive
and was refloated. Since then no other sightings or strandings.
We can confirm that the military operation of the Italian Navy, MARE
APERTO/AMPHEX 2011 was going during the strandings as stated by advices
of the Italian coast guard: exercises involving two submarines were
performed in the entire Gulf of Taranto, from the Ionian coast of
Calabria, with the eastern point being 37° 28' N, 17° 60' E.
A partial postmortem examination was performed by collegues from the
local office of the IZS del Mezzogiorno (dr. Caterina Riverso) along
with biologists of the MPA of Capo Rizzuto (dr. Stefania Giglio and dr.
Elena Amadeo): fresh samples and organs were collected and preserved in
formalin and frozen. The entire head was preserved refrigerate. The head
and all tissues and organs collected have been examined after 2 days
from stranding by myself and dr. Povinelli.
All postmortem findings will be compared with those found during
necropsies carried out on whales stranded in Corfù.
Best regards
Sandro Mazzariol
Today's Topics:
1. Growing numbers - Update on the mass stranding of Ziphius in
the Ionian Sea, Greece (Alexandros Frantzis)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:08:16 +0200
From: Alexandros Frantzis<[email protected]>
To:[email protected]
Subject: [MARMAM] Growing numbers - Update on the mass stranding of
Ziphius in the Ionian Sea, Greece
Message-ID:<[email protected]>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
Dear all,
This is to let you know that more animals have stranded along the west
coasts of Corfu during the last two days. Yesterday, 6 December three
more animals stranded along the coasts. Two of them stranded in the same
beach and one stranded alone 9.3 km further north. Today, one more
animal was found in another beach.
All new animals were found dead (in contrast to previous ones) and their
decomposition state indicates that their death occurred approximately at
the same time with the animals found stranded the 30 November. All new
stranding positions were spread between the northern and southern
positions that we had already reported. Efforts are made by Dr. A.
Komnenou (School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaloniki) to
co-ordinate local veterinarians in order to collect tissue samples from
the new animals.
The number of whales involved in the mass stranding, which have been
recorded so far, is seven or eight for Corfu (Greece) plus two in Italy.
It is reasonable to think that there are more animals in the pelagic
waters of the Ionian Sea, which may never reach the coasts. The local
and apparently small Ionian population unit has suffered three stranding
events coinciding in time and space with use of military sonar in the
past (plus one in east Sicily earlier this year). There should be little
doubt (if any) that the cumulative damage at the population level is high.
Best wishes,
Alexandros
On 12/6/2011 4:35 AM, Alexandros Frantzis wrote:
Dear all,
Thanks a lot(!) to all those who have responded to our first message
and provided, precious information or good will to help in any way
they could. We have been overwhelmed by the obligations of the last
days, so I apologize that I will not be able to answer personally to
all of you who sent e-mails (more than 100!).
Many thanks to Dr. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara who responded
immediately and initiated a large international effort for the
conservation of the Mediterranean deep diving cetacean that are
sensitive to loud anthropogenic sounds. Also many thanks to all those
who expressed support to this initiative.
The good news: this message is to let you know that despite the many
and various difficulties, at the end necropsies were performed in two
of the stranded whales (probably three or possibly four in total in
Corfu). Thanks to Prof. Antonio Fernandez ( Facultad de Veterinaria -
Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria), who kindly and immediately
responded to our call and expressed his will to help, a team of
specialists led in situ by Dr. Manuel Arbelo succeeded to join us and
reach the stranding area early enough to make the necropsies possible.
One of the two whales was nearly fresh and allowed important
macroscopic observations. More details and further results from sample
analysis will be announced by Prof. Antonio Fernandez and his team
whenever appropriate.
Best wishes and thank you once more,
Alexandros
--
___________________________________________
Dr. Alexandros Frantzis
Scientific director
Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute
Terpsichoris 21
16671 Vouliagmeni,
GREECE
Tel.: +30-210-8960108
e-mail:[email protected]
website:http://www.pelagosinstitute.gr
___________________________________________
On 12/1/2011 2:04 AM, Alexandros Frantzis wrote:
Dear all,
Once more we have bad news regarding Cuvier's beaked whales in the
Ionian Sea. The local population unit, which has repeatedly been
affected by NATO naval activity (last time in February 2011 east of
Sicily) may be steadily heading towards its extinction...
Today 30 November 2011 at least three Cuvier's beaked whales stranded
alive and atypically in west Corfu, along 23 km of coast. All whales
were led offshore by people who tried to rescue them. One whale died
some 200 m offshore. Another whale, after having swam some 600 m
offshore, returned and stranded once more (if this wasn't a different
animal). It was led once more offshore after the sunset, so no
further information is available so far. The third animal was not
seen after it was "rescued".
*I would like to draw your attention on two "peculiarities":*
*1)* Independent rescuers in two different stranding areas, reported
that they were hearing "whistles" while approaching the single
animals. The "whistles" were heard even out of the water at a
distance of 100 m from the animal (!), and became much louder when
the rescuers entered the water to approach the animal. The rescuers
kept hearing the "whistles" until they left the place, two hours
after the death of the unique whale present! They thought that there
might be other whales calling the stranded animal from further
offshore, although they could observe nothing for hours.
Two independent rescuers (separated by 23 km) described these
"whistles" as "emission"-pause of 10-15 seconds-"emission"-pause and
so on. *I wonder if what the rescuers were hearing was the probable
sonic cause of the stranding*. If you have a similar experience or
knowledge, please share it with us.
The rescuers didn't see any military or seismic survey vessels from
the shore. A fisherman from the area said that today he saw an
"unusual" research vessel offshore that he believes (it is known in
the area that seismic surveys have started or are about to start) was
performing research for oil.
*2)* The whale that died 200 m offshore was found at about 3-4 m
depth at an unusual position (to me at least). Its flukes were on the
sea bed while the beak and part of the head of the animal was out of
the water! For some reason the head could float at surface and the
animal never sunk. *Does anyone has an explanation?
*
Unfortunately no necropsy was performed to the animal that died.
The port-police authorities and local volunteers have been alerted
and we just hope that tomorrow we won't find more animals along the
coasts.
Repeated use of military sonar and now growing seismic survey
activity go on in an area that is critical for the two deep diving
Mediterranean species, the Cuvier's and the sperm whales. In 2007
ACCOBAMS officially proposed the creation of a MPA for deep diving
cetaceans in the eastern Ionian Sea (Hellenic Trench), but nothing
has happened so far.
Best wishes,
Alexandros
--
___________________________________________
Dr. Alexandros Frantzis
Scientific director
Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute
Terpsichoris 21
16671 Vouliagmeni,
GREECE
Tel.: +30-210-8960108
e-mail:[email protected]
website:http://www.pelagosinstitute.gr
___________________________________________
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End of MARMAM Digest, Vol 77, Issue 13
**************************************
--
Dr. Sandro Mazzariol, DVM, PhD
Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica, Patologia Comparata e Igiene Veterinaria
Università degli Studi di Padova
AGRIPOLIS
Viale dell'Università, 16
35020 -- Legnaro
PADOVA
tel.: +39 049 827 2963
fax: +39 049 827 2973
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