Our support for the protection of the sea and its inhabitants in collaboration with Jonian Dolphin Conservation, an organisation that safeguards cetaceans in the Gulf of Taranto, continues.
For the past two years, we have been the partners of the Jonian Dolphin Conservation project “Ricercatore per un giorno” (“Researcher for a day”) through the San Giorgio winery and the wines provided for the catamaran excursions and we are now extending our support by adopting a cetacean.
We opted for a Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), a rare species of dolphin.
Her name is Surf and she’s a female adult. The name derives from a scar on the right-hand side of her fin, which is shaped like a wave. When spotted in the waters of the Gulf of Taranto, she is always together with her calf “Mario”.
The scars mean the dorsal fins of Risso’s dolphins are true “fingerprints” – unique and unmistakeable. 117 Risso’s dolphins have been identified in the Gulf of Taranto so far, but there is still a lot to discover about them and their behaviour.
The information on Risso’s dolphins in the Mediterranean is scarce due to the few sightings, so much so that they are classified as Data Deficient. For a correct preservation of the species, more information is needed on their number, distribution and use of the habitat within the entire Mediterranean basin, which is why we have chosen such a rare dolphin.
“We are happy to support the Jonian Dolphin Conservation with the added adoption of Surf,” commented Francesca Tinazzi. “With this gesture, we want to help the researchers collect essential data and information to determine the condition of the dolphins in the Gulf of Taranto and therefore of the sea that is their home. To us, it is important to be actively present in the territory, collaborating with organizations that deal with such important matters with so much passion and professionalism.”