NATURALISTIC CRUISES

CETACEAN RESEARCH IN NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

ISCHIA DOLPHIN PROJECT

HEIR FUTURE: CHIP IN!

FULFIL YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH WHALES AND DOLPHINS!

Any economic support to the project comes exclusively from participants at the summer camps, private sponsor and Foundations. Thanks to the participation of many volunteers who choose to spend their holiday collaborating at the project, it has been possible to produce this effort till today.

DOWNLOAD THE 2007 PROGRAMME AND APPLY NOW

students:The research is conducted in collaboration with: ASMS Ocean Care (Swiss coalition for marine mammals), Humane Society, OceanoMare, RSPCA (Royal Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Tethys Research Institute, University of Naples (Geology Department), Zoological Station A. Dohrn. Publications from research area available following the link publications

Discounts! The project offer special prices for students and discounts for volunteers who joined the program in the past (see below).

activities:

Participants leave every day to sail, according to the project and weather conditions. Their duties onboard consist in helping researchers monitoring dolphins. Dolphin behaviour is recorded together with geographic position, group size, group composition, group formation, surface activity patterns and duration of surfacing intervals. Behavioural sampling is coupled with acoustic recording of dolphin vocalisations, in order to relate the sounds produced by the animals to different behavioural activities. Navigation data are collected in order to estimate dolphins relative sighting frequencies. The presence of sea turtles, tuna, swordfish, fish schools, mantas, moonfish and marine birds, is recorded.

Seamanship: interested volunteers can learn the main riggings to sail as steering, hoisting and striking the sails, take confidence with sheets, halyard, compass and courses… they can collaborate with the crew during the mooring.

With bad weather we offer lectures on cetology: the research on cetaceans in the Italian sea, the key areas for the study of whales and dolphins in the Mediterranean, conservation and preservation, evolution, adaptation to the marine environment, classification, insight into the cetaceans of the Mediteranean and in particular the studied species, the bioacoustics, the social behaviour and the interaction with fisheries.

accomodation

On board of "Jean Gab" historical boat, built in 1930 in Marseilles, designed by Andrè Mauric, who also designed France I and II (America's Cup), Pen Duick VI, Kritter VII, Calypso and Alcyone (Jacques Cousteau). The space inside is divided into a kitchen with a table and large windows, a sleeping room for six people (accommodation in berth), a gent toile and a ladies one (with cold water), a changing room, a room and a bathroom reserved to the crew and on the bow the "sailor cabin" with two/three (with a child) places. Sometimes in the sleeping room there could be people of the two sexes. There is an outside shower onboard, powered by sun, with an additional shower at the local port (hot water).
We remind you that life onboard and sail is a choice: simple, communal and ecocompatible lifestyle, conserving energy and resources.

TURNS AND PARTICIPATION FEES:

Fees include meals(breakfast, lunch and dinner), beverages (water and wine), petrol and port costs, insurance for the duration of the couse, Delphis membership