TThe dolphin research project “Delfini del Ponente” is the first project focused on monitoring bottlenose dolphins in the Western Ligurian Sea. Due to the morphology of the seafloor, this area is not a usual habitat for this species and historically, sightings have a been more rare and sporadic than in the Levantine side of the region. The continental shelf is, in fact, very short and high depths (around 2000 m) are reached quite close to the shore making the area suitable for other cetacean species but not for bottlenose dolphins, which tend to remain in waters with a depth not exceeding 200 m. Despite this knowledge of the range of the species, an interesting change has been noted in recent years in the area. Reports of bottlenose dolphins by boats, fishermen and whale watching vessels are almost tripled compared to previous seasons. Therefore, the project aims to monitor bottlenose dolphins in the region to understand the extent of this change and what drove it. It is structured on an annual basis, in order to obtain data not only on the distribution during the summer, but also changes during the different seasons. The project needs a commitment of at least 30 days. Normally, we work 5 days a week, but it is needed a lot of flexibility since all the activities are weather dependent. Therefore, we might have an entire week of work before having 2 days off, or just an afternoon off during a very busy week. We go out at sea for collecting data on bottlenose dolphins about 10 times per month.

 

The price varies among the seasons.