Dear All,

this is an update on the live stranding of two Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) that occurred in Sicily (Italy) a few days ago.

The two specimens were found stranded alive on the 8^th of February and immediately released at sea by the local Coast Guard. The day after, one of them stranded again in the same place and it was released with the help of a local rescue team.

We are attaching a detailed description of the facts as reported by Dr. Antonino Barlotta, of the Fondo Siciliano per la Natura (Sicily Wildlife Found). Dr. Barlotta and his rescue team acted on the spot.

In the same period and in the same area there was a military naval exercise involving submarines going on (Proud Manta:

 http://www.hydro-international.com/news/id4482-Gliders_Assist_Exercise_PROUD_MANTA.html).

We don’t have more info about this.

Strandings of Cuvier’s beaked whales are quite common along the coasts of Sicily. To have a view of the stranding data in Italy you can search in our National Stranding on-line DataBase (http://mammiferimarini.unipv.it)   or you can contact one of us for further details.

Michela Podestà – Museum of Natural History of Milan (michela_podesta@hotmail.com; michela.podesta@comune.milano.it)

Maristella Giurisato and Bruno Cozzi – Department of Experimental Veterinary Science, University of Padova (maristella.giurisato@unipd.it and bruno.cozzi@unipd.it)

Sandro Mazzariol – Department of Public Health, Comparative Pathology and Veterinary Hygiene, University of Padova (sandro.mazzariol@unipd.it)