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: afrantzis@otenet.gr
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: afrantzis@otenet.gr
website: http://www.pelagosinstitute.gr
___________________________________________