Title : Searching for Sperm Whales in the gulf of Naples
link : Searching for Sperm Whales in the gulf of Naples
Searching for Sperm Whales in the gulf of Naples
[by Simo Capecchi, Ischia, Italy]
In September I was kindly hosted on board of the "Jean Gab". This beautiful cutter from the Thirties is the floating laboratory of Oceanomare Delphis, an association dedicated to the observation and research on cetaceans in the Mediterranean sea and in the Gulf of Naples. Their mission is to promotes conservation of big mammals and to raise awareness on marine biological diversity. Oceanomare team have been collecting data on 7 species of cetaceans since 1991. They finance their research organizing cruises and workshops on the sailing boat from May to October.
It has been a surprise for me to know that there are sperm whales up to 18 meters swimming around my town, where there is an underwater canyon deep enough for them to fish giant squids, despite the huge traffic of boats and the questionable quality of the water. Early in the morning I reached Casamicciola harbor in Ischia island and joined the crew on board, hoping to be so lucky to spot one of them.
In September I was kindly hosted on board of the "Jean Gab". This beautiful cutter from the Thirties is the floating laboratory of Oceanomare Delphis, an association dedicated to the observation and research on cetaceans in the Mediterranean sea and in the Gulf of Naples. Their mission is to promotes conservation of big mammals and to raise awareness on marine biological diversity. Oceanomare team have been collecting data on 7 species of cetaceans since 1991. They finance their research organizing cruises and workshops on the sailing boat from May to October.
It has been a surprise for me to know that there are sperm whales up to 18 meters swimming around my town, where there is an underwater canyon deep enough for them to fish giant squids, despite the huge traffic of boats and the questionable quality of the water. Early in the morning I reached Casamicciola harbor in Ischia island and joined the crew on board, hoping to be so lucky to spot one of them.
Captain Angelo Miragliuolo is from Casamicciola but the boat has been his home since many years. Alessandra is studying Environmental Science in Naples and has been his assistant for the season. Britanny is a workshop participant from South Africa and will stay in Ischia for a couple of months.
The boat is equipped with two hydrophones Angelo adapted himself, among other instruments. All sounds are recorded and translated in visual data on computer. Two little dogs, who live on the boat with Angelo, will start barking well before the hydrophones amplify any click or whistle: Berta and Sterna are "fishing" dogs and can spot a dolphin from far away, they are trained!
All of us, dogs first, got excited when many dolphins (Stenella kind) start jumping all around the boat. Three groups of mothers and kids, said Angelo.
We sailed the whole day, while recording was often interrupted by big boats whose engine's noise not only disturbs data collection but the habits of cetaceans too, since they use sound (clicks) to echolocate their prey and to communicate to each other. Even if we did not meet any sperm whale I had a great time and I learned a lot about what happens under the sea just a few kilometers from my house.
Below is one of the many pages I filled a few days before the trip, when captain Angelo gave to me a "cetaceans for dummies" lesson so that I wouldn't come totally unprepared. Sperm whales are Angelo's true love, and he is never tired of studying them. He is right, they are totally fascinating! With the largest heads, largest brains, and loudest recorded sound of any animal on Earth, it's no wonder these whales were the inspiration for Moby Dick. The highlight has been Angelo's translation in real time of an audio clip: while I could only hear a sequence of clicks he explained me how a young male sperm whale was diving, hunting and finally catching a squid.
But the reason why I was asking Angelo about sperm whales and hoping to meet one in particular, was a project by Franco Lancio. Having read on the newspaper that "Brunone", one of the many sperm whales tracked by Oceanomare - they all have a name and an "identity card" - had been spotted again near Castello Aragonese, where we were going to held our Ischia Urban Sketchers workshop, Franco decided to create a real size portrait of him (13.30 m. long), with all the details Oceanomare gave to us. Brunone or the sperm whale has been exhibited in Chiesa dell'Immacolata inside Castello Aragonese during the workshop and it has been a real attraction.
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