First sighting of the year in Kalamos

Finally! Today, just after 15 minutes of navigation around the transparent waters of Kalamos we had our first sighting of the year. It was my seventh time surveying the area this year and I already had come to terms with the fact that a sighting, given the low dolphin density in these waters, was quite unlikely.

When my colleague Susie called out! I couldn’t believe it. My perplexity however, lasted only three seconds; the time it took me to turn around and spot the familiar silhouettes of the dolphin’s dorsal fins smoothly cutting the sea surface. As we approached them we confirmed that they were bottlenose dolphins. We spent over three hours photoidentifying the 16 dolphins of the group and recording their behaviour with the invaluable help of our five Earthwatch volunteers (Anabelle, Kim, Jenna, Lilly and Patricia). I cannot think of a better spot for the dolphins to pop up and make my day. Right in front of the beautiful village of Episkopi, where we had our field base for over 15 years and where, with no doubt, I have had some of the best moments of my life.

Because of my exclusive dedication to the research in the Amvrakikos Gulf for the past years, my last sighting in Kalamos was in 2004. Today, being around that group of dolphins felt special. Since I switched on the camera to get started with the photo-id, many memories kept coming to my mind: my first sighting (in a nearby location, 11 years ago); the first day I grabbed the camera with shaky hands after Giovanni (Bearzi) handed it to me and, with his sweet voice, said “Joan, six dolphins: photoidentify them all - you have half an hour”; the first research season in which me and my fratello Stefano (Agazzi) were in charge of the research and logistics on our own; and many hours spent in the company of these wonderful creatures…No doubt, I would not be the same person without all these experiences on my shoulders

The good old days of common and bottlenose dolphins being a regular sight around Kalamos are gone. However, allow me to be naïve and insufflate some optimism and hope. Today’s sighting also means that there is still a chance of things getting better in Kalamos. Today’s sighting was no mirage.

joAn