Thanks for a wonderful day

On board Joan (PI), Christina (research assistant), Khadiza, Jeff, Rory, Jenny and myself (Luca). As usual, we took the research boat at 8 am, after several hours surveying the waters of the Amvrakikos Gulf the crew was a little bit depressed, because we had not spotted any dolphins and the sun was hammering.

With the patience that characterizes me, I was the first to ask to go back to the shore. Fortunately Joan and Christina convinced us, with biologist tricks, to carry on for another half hour. Hence, a lot happened... Jenny was the first one to spot a dolphin fin with the help of Jeff. Immediately, we all started to see dolphins swimming, splashing and surface feeding on what was likely a large school of sardines. They were everywhere and occasionally at just few meters from our boat. It was an amazing feeling seeing these splendid creatures all around us… but more was yet to come!

As a Sicilian free-diver coming from the school of the several times world champion Pellizzari, Apnea Academy, I often visit the islands of Linosa and Lampedusa. They are two sanctuaries for sea turtles, my favourite sea animal. Especially in Linosa I always visit the “hospital” of sea turtles, treating animals by-caught in fish nets or injured as consequence of big boats going far too fast or with too little “brain”. However, it is very rare to see them swimming in nature nowadays. Well, yesterday Joan spotted one sea turtle, and we were all able to observe this fantastic animal, of at least 80 cm of carapace, swimming and resting at the surface. What a fantastic surprise! Truly an example of the immense beauty of nature.

In the Gulf, the visibility underwater is very reduced (just a few metres), which made our encounter even more unique. As a free diver in these last 15 years I have seen the inhabitants of the sea getting ill and progressively disappear. That’s why this encounter was so magic, you can presume that because of saying this I’m a radical ecologist, but this is not the case.

As a matter of fact before being a free diver, I am a spearfisher “a nasty boy in the mind of ecologist”, who for 20 years has been fishing around the coast of Sicily, south Italy and Greece. Telling you the truth the underwater world has no secrets for me, sad but true every time I go fishing now the chances to see and take a fish are increasingly more remote. It seems that the sea is progressively getting empty and very fast. This is why I chose to come over here and give my small contribution in terms of money and work to Earthwatch and Tethys. Not much, but something.

Well, not much more to say. Thanks for a wonderful day. I want to thank also this bunch of people I found here. Jeff with his English humour, Rory with his eternal support, Jenny and her stories on bird watching, Khadiza and her photoidentification skills and Christina for remembering me that feminism is not dead. You all made my life better, this 10 days here will remain in my memory. Last but not least, Joan, thanks to you also, even if you drive the boat as Schumacher in his best days.

Luca, Italy