Dolphin watching tips

“I’ve just returned from the Aegean and seen the work being done out there first hand. In the Alonissos Marine Park we have several dolphin species including bottlenose, common and striped (and much less frequently, the Cuvier’s beaked dolphin), along with lots of other wildlife. Birdwatchers will be thrilled here – 85% if the world’s population of Eleonora’s falcon breeds in Greece, for example. Then there are the rare monk seals, we have around 60 of them, and turtles. The marine life here faces many threats, from overfishing to getting entangled in nets, to pollution and collisions with boats. We work closely with MOm (the Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal) and the North Aegean Dolphin Project to counter this and we’re very excited that recent research shows an increase in dolphin populations here.”

“We see bottlenose, common, stripped and Risso’s dolphins off the Azores all year round, and spotted dolphins in the spring too. With a good pair of binoculars you can often see them from land, which is a good option if the sea is choppy, but really you want to be out on the boats. I always try to emphasise to people that swimming with dolphins is not to be underestimated, it can be challenging in the waves. On the boats, the dolphins get so close that it feels like you’re swimming with them anyway.”