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Turmares and the whale watching excursions are in Ocholeguas Viajes web ("El Mundo" newspaper), with very nice pictures: http://www.ocholeguas.com/2010/08/24/espana/1282643874.html
Amazing jumps of whales in Australia In the last years, this country has turned into one of the favourite place for the big cetaceans. Million of people goes every year to sight them travelling. And the whales offer the best jumps for it. In the following video we can see a demonstration. http://www.rtve.es/mediateca/videos/20100825/espectaculares-saltos-ballenas-australia/859181.shtml
Killer whales in Marbella. Well... not strictly in Marbella But whale watching out from Tarifa, an hour’s drive west of Marbella. Not many people realise that you can go out and see Killer Whales, in their natural habitat, from here on the Costa del Sol. In Tarifa, just up the coast past Gibraltar, you can take a 3 hour trip out into the straits of Gibraltar to watch a unique group of Orcas (Killer Whales), which arrive here off the coast of northern Africa each summer to feed on the Red Tuna.
Whale of a tale for couple yachting off Cape Town A couple on a whale-watching trip off Cape Town, South Africa, say they had a lucky escape when a 10m (33ft) specimen leapt on to their yacht. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-10712323
Exceptional sighting of a Grey Whale in the Mediterranean - The wandering cetacean It shouldn´t have been there. , it was very close to the coast. It was arriving to the harbour of Barcelona on the 30th of may, but it couldn´t be a Grey Whale!. Carla Álvarez from Submon (a group dedicated to the study of the marine environment) says: “ They called us from a boat saying that they had seen a Sperm Whale, but it couldn´t be so close to the coast”. Alvarez studied the photo of the tale of the cetacean and discovered that it had been photographied 23 days before in Israel. The spots on the tail were the same ones. There was no doubt, it was a Grey Whale... The Grey Whale doesn´t appear on the world catalogue so the origin is unknown. It is now waiting for you in the Strait of Gibraltar, so, photographic cameras in hand!.... http://www.elpais.com/articulo/sociedad/cetaceo/errante/elpepisoc/20100610elpepisoc_9/Tes
A young Humpback Whale dies in New York A young Humpback Whale of a length of 8 meters has been sacrified in Hampton Beach (New York). The whale arrived to the beach last Tuesday and several biologists determined that it was imposible to save her life.
About the killer whale, also called Orca. Killer whales use echolocation system which consists of the emission of sounds, like a high-frequency, dry taps from their heads, bouncing in their prey or other objects, and whose echoes allow whales "see" through sound. http://www.turmares.com/whalewatching/index.php?option=com_events&Itemid=66&lang=en Whales fertilizing the Southern Ocean, an important investigation from the Australian Antarctic Division The important role whale poo plays in the productivity of the Southern Ocean has been revealed in a new study. Scientists from the Australian Antarctic Division and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC) are looking at how krill and whales contribute to the recycling of iron in the Southern Ocean. Iron is a critical element in the ocean that enables the production of aquatic plants, known as algae, which absorb carbon dioxide (CO2). When algae die they sink and strip iron from the surface of the ocean, but much of the algae is eaten by krill, which in turn become prey for larger animals such as seals, penguins and whales. Australian Antarctic Division scientist, Dr Steve Nicol, said the study looked at faecal and tissue samples from four species of baleen whales and tissue samples from seven species of krill. "We found that krill concentrated the iron they consumed in their bodies and because they swim near the surface, they keep the iron in the top layer of the ocean," Dr Nicol said. Approximately 24% of the total iron in the Southern Ocean surface water is currently stored within krill body tissue. The most recent estimates of krill biomass in the Southern Ocean is 379 million tonnes, storing about 15,000 tonnes of iron. "When whales consume the iron-rich krill, they excrete most of the iron back into the water, therefore fertilizing the ocean and starting the whole food cycle again," Dr Nicol said. "The baleen whales' faecal iron concentration is calculated to be about 10 million times that of Antarctic seawater," he said. Before commercial whaling began early last century whales used to consume about 190 million tonnes of krill, converting this into about 7,600 tonnes of iron-rich faeces. "This monumental fertilizing effort means the whales may have been responsible for recycling about 12% of the current iron content in the surface layer of the Southern Ocean," Dr Nicol said. The recycling role of krill and whales in the ocean helps to explain how the ecosystem was able to support far larger populations of both predator and prey. The research suggests that, in future, increasing populations of baleen whales and krill would have a positive effect on the productivity of the entire Southern Ocean ecosystem and could improve the ocean's ability to absorb CO2.
Fin Whale dead A 12 meters and 20 tons Fin Whale found dead in Rinconcillo Beach inside Algecira’s Bay, Strait of Gibraltar on April 15th.
The IV Straits Natural Park Symposium takes place this weekend, April 17th and 18th, in Tarifa. The event is organized by Garum Association and collaborated by Turmares. Along the event presentations and discussions upon relevant aspects related to the region as well as Cave Painting Art, shore’s planning and management, Natural park geomorphology, Natural Park administrative council acts, interaction between inhabitants and the protected area, followed by examples as: Almadraba (fishery ancestral technique) and livestock breeding. At the end participants will visit Tarifa’s Island and sail on aboard the Jackelin boat for a whale and dolphin watching excursions in the Strait of Gibraltar.
Inhabitants in the Strait Sightings in open seas are becoming recognized as the most natural and enjoyable way of contemplating both the traditional species you’d expect to see at a dolphinarium, and a wider range of marine animals, depending on the area in question. A strict code of conduct is adhered to at all times to ensure that these charming animals remain undisturbed in their natural habitat. We are continually reminded of the importance of the Strait of Gibraltar as a migratory passage for both a diverse range of fish species and a selection of marine mammals. The only way to really get first-hand experience of the beauty and importance of these different types of dolphins is to immerse oneself in their own free environment. The experience of tracking them in this privileged setting, in turn, raises people’s awareness as to the need to protect these animals.
Easter 2010 Whalewatching worldwide recieves more visitors each year, here in the Strait of Gibraltar (thanks to the variaty of the species) we notice aswell this increasing number of visiotrs. Next Easter (March 28th until April 4th) we expect ideal weather conditions to go whale and dolphing watching. Check our departures schedule.
The 18th Biennal Society for Marine Mammalogy Conference Turmares Tarifa will attend on the 18th Biennal Society for Marine Mammology congress, next 12-18 Oct in Quebec/Canada. Ezequiel Andreu, chief of our scientific department will represent Turmares Tarifa and present the scientific poster "Individual migration of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) through the Strait of Gibraltar" a collaboration between Turmares Tarifa, CIRCE and Luxembourg natural History Museum.
Whale and dolphin watching trips in Tarifa zone attract about 50.000 tourists each year. Asked by the journalist, André Anciaes, director of commerce in Turmares, underlined that the studies show that 50% of these tourist indicates these trips to be the strongest factor that brings them to visit Tarifa in the Strait of Gibraltar. The workers of the tourism sector already know that travelers constantly look for some new activities to spend a free time, and this is a perfect one, as the zone of the Strait allows to organize trips to watch cetaceans throughout the whole year.
Whale Watching Worldwide – a special report from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Ten years after the latest global review of the worldwide whale watching industry, the IFAW decided to measure the change in this industry across the world since 1998. The report shows how strongly the industry has grown. In 2008, 13 million people participated in whale watching in 119 countries comparing to 9 million from 87 countries in 1998. The most significant growth of the industry appeared in Asia – from 220,000 whale watchers in 1998 to over million in 2008. The highest number of whale watchers in the world is in the USA (38%) and Australia (13%). What refers to our area – Europe´s whale watchers have doubled up to 828,115. In Spain, there where aprox. 75,000 whale watchers in 2008, comparing to 25,000 in 1998. The activity is concentrated in southern Spain, focusing on cetaceans in the Strait of Gibraltar and the Costa del Sol. Tarifa, the main departure port, accounts for around 75% of total whale watchers. Responsible whale watching is the most sustainable, environmentally-friendly and economically beneficial "use" of whales in 21st century. To read more: http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_european_union/
The organisation of this Conference comes from a need expressed by several scientist of the region which ACCOBAMS Secretariat strives to fill with the support of its Partners. The aim of the Biennial Conference is to assess the knowledge acquired on cetaceans in the South and East of the Mediterranean, identify potential gaps and stimulate the development of conservation actions in order to promote the implementation of the ACCOBAMS Agreement. This Conference will allow, through its regular organisation, cetacean specialists, active in the South of the Mediterranean, to exchange their experience and data and to discuss the best approaches and priority actions for a better knowledge on cetacean populations in this region where data still remain sporadic and scarce. The Biennial Conference will take place every two year in one Country of the region. The first Conference (CSMC1) will take place in Tabarka, Tunisia, from the 12th to the 14th October 2009. To read more see: www.accobams.org
Support the research on whales and dolphins in the Strait of Gibraltar! http://apps.facebook.com/causes/329050?as_id=530135&as_type=Sharing&recruiter_id=76433309&
CG Turismo - Venezuela http://www.cg.com.ve/magazine.php?id=8&pg=5
18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals Turmares Tarifa scientific department in collaboration with Luxembourg Natural History Museum and CIRCE (Conservation, Information and Research on Cetaceans) will present the poster "INDIVIDUAL MIGRATION OF FIN WHALES (Balaenoptera physalus) THROUGH THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR" in the 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals in Quebec, Canada next octuber 2009. The abstract presented by Ezequiel Andreu, Baldomero Medina, Phd. Pierre Gallego and members of CIRCE was selected among others 1200 abstracts for one of the 150 poster presentations in this Biennial, considered the most important event on Marine Mammals research. It’ll be the second time Turmares attend and present its issues in the Biennial, once last edition in Cape Town, South Africa in 2007, Ezequiel Andreu and Phd. Pierre Gallego presented “LONG-FINNED PILOT WHALES (Globicephala melas) RESPONSE TO THE WHALE WATCHING VESSELS IN THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR.
The Centre will be used for educational and scientific purposes and intend to give tools for the Whale and Dolphin Watching companies and will offer space and logistics for meetings and courses on cetaceans biology and environmental education. Inauguration previews are for in summer 2010. The CIC is a partner ship between Tarifa Council, Regional Sustainable Development Institutions, local whale watching companies and a cetacean research association based in the Strait of Gibraltar.
An article presented in the 61st International Whaling Commission meeting by CIRCE, National Museum of natural Historiy of Luxembourg and Turmares Tarifa: "An Update on Fin Whales (Balaenoptera physalus) migration through intensive maritime traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar" Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are known to migrate between the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Gibraltar. Westerly migrating whales swim into the Atlantic Ocean mainly in summer but information about the easterly whales is scarce. The aim of this study is to know more about individual migrations through the high maritime traffic area of the Strait of Gibraltar. Data was collected from a research boat between 1999 and 2008, from opportunistic platforms of whale watching from April to October 2003-2008 and other opportunistic platforms. A total of 118 sightings of 185 animals were recorded, 59% being lone individuals. A mean of 17 (range 1-30) whales was sighted every year with 1.6 (1-6) animals per sighting.Mostly adults were sighted but 8 juveniles and 2 calves were also observed. In 92% of the sightings, fin whales were travelling, 88% swimming west, into the Atlantic and 8% east, into the Mediterranean Sea. Most sightings occurred in summer, in relation to the effort. A total of 1466 digital pictures and 312 slides were analyzed, representing only 35 sightings, and this enabled to identify 22 marked individuals. Unmarked whales represented 60% of the photographed animals. Three individuals (14%) were recaptured once, swimming to the Atlantic Ocean with different companions and different time intervals (range 1-6 years). The existence of recaptured individuals confirmed that the migratory movements observed in the Strait of Gibraltar must be done by the same individuals swimming back and forth between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, mainly to the Atlantic Ocean in summer and probably returning to the Mediterranean Sea in winter when the effort is lower. These migrating whales could represent only a small portion of the Mediterranean population. We recommend that observations be conducted all year long to better identify the migrating seasons and number of whales, especially in this high maritime traffic area. We also recommend real-time monitoring of potential fin whale strikes in the Strait of Gibraltar as well as further study on fin whales including photo-identification and genetic analysis to estimate the total number of individuals migrating through the Strait and the population they belong to.
Turmares attend the International Whaling Commission Ezequiel Andréu Cazalla, oceanologist Cetólogo and represent Turmares as part of the whale watching in the Spanish Delegation to attend the 61th reunion of the IWC. Turmares Tarifa, will be represented at the IWC in the person of Andréu Ezequiel, head of the Department of Education and Research as part of the Spanish Delegation at this annual meeting that brings together delegations composed of diplomats and scientists from 85 countries. The 61th meeting of the IWC will be held at the Madeira Island (Portugal), Sunday May 31 untill Friday June 12. Among other topics will be discussed, as is customary in recent years on this committee, the activity of whale watching ecotourism worldwide. Turmares, which is now 10 years established in the Strait of Gibraltar, has many concerns about the resources they exploit, the cetacean. This is reflected in the amount of scientific work developed by the company and have been presented at major conferences on an international level on cetaceans and the tourist activity of the sighting. Turmares received the invitation to participate in the CBI, highlighted the levels of development that the company has achieved as an operator of the sightings, usually in collaboration with scientific research projects and environmental education with prestigious national and international organizations to which we should add the ISO certifications 14001 and 9001 for environmental and quality management respectively, and the Natural Park of Andalusia Flag for nature tourism in protected natural areas, in this case the Strait of Gibraltar. Besides Turmares Tarifa, the Spanish delegation will include representatives from the Ministry of the Environment, the Spanish Cetacean Society, the Government of the Canary Islands and the Spanish Institute of Oceanography and University of Las Palmas.
Orcas in the Strait of Gibraltar In the first days of May (2009), a group of Orcas was sighted and photographed in front of Barbate beach and harbour channel. In the Strait of Gibraltar five different groups of Orcas can be observed, each group containing a number of 5 to 12 individuals. The localization of those orca groups are directly related to their diet and feeding behaviour, usually connected to the red tuna (Thunnus thynnus) appearance in that region. Two of those groups are observed in the Cadiz shore during the season of Almadraba (ancient fishery technique), from March until June. The orca groups hunt exclusively red tuna with a special chasing technique, which they use when the prey tries to penetrate the Mediterranean Sea for spawning and needs to swim in the shallow zones of the Cadiz shore. The other three groups can be observed in the middle part of the Strait of Gibraltar from July until September when the red tuna school is travelling from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. These three groups employ different hunting strategies to catch red tuna, steeling the captured fishes directly from the fishermen lines. This strategy brings out an important saving of energy for the orcas.
Intensive Traffic Vessels in the Strait of Gibraltar The holy week was great for Turmares, we could observe a lot of species. We had the first sight of a Fin Whale this year. We also had a lot of questions about the intensive vessel traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar. We are in close contact with the authorities who respect the fauna here in the Strait, if you have any questions go to our faceboook or twitter account, where you can meet with other people discussing the same aspect or go straight to our forum here on the web site. Turmares is always willing to inform you about anything related with whale watching here in the south of Spain.
Our scientific work The scientific work produced by the equipment of Turmares in collaboration with the University of Cadiz, 5 Museum of Natural History of Luxembourg and INACHUS has posters approved by the European Cetacean Society for its Conference 2009 that was realised in Istanbul, Turkey the next month of February. 1) - CETACEAN INTERACTION WITH FISHERIES IN THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR 2) - KILLER WHALE HUNTING BEHAVIOR AND ACOUSTICS IN THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR 3) - DRAMATIC DECREASE OF SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN (Delphinus 4) - SKIN LESIONS OBSERVED IN CETACEANS FROM THE STRAIT OF 5) - FIRST RECAPTURES OF FIN WHALES (Balaenoptera physalus) MIGRATING
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