BY Sandro Mazzariol

a quick update on our investigation in Italy regarding the beaked whales in the Ionian Sea. As you know, on December 1st two Cuvier’s whales stranded along the Italian coast of Calabria, on the Ionian side, just few hours after the report of Alexandros in Greece. The two whales were an adult female found dead (very well preserved carcass) and a young calf (likely maternally dependant from the other one) which was alive and was refloated. Since then no other sightings or strandings.

We can confirm that the military operation of the Italian Navy, MARE APERTO/AMPHEX 2011 was going during the strandings as stated by advices of the Italian coast guard: exercises involving two submarines were performed in the entire Gulf of Taranto, from the Ionian coast of Calabria, with the eastern point being 37° 28′ N, 17° 60′ E.

A partial postmortem examination was performed by collegues from the local office of the IZS del Mezzogiorno (dr. Caterina Riverso) along with biologists of the MPA of Capo Rizzuto (dr. Stefania Giglio and dr. Elena Amadeo): fresh samples and organs were collected and preserved in formalin and frozen. The entire head was preserved refrigerate. The head and all tissues and organs collected have been examined after 2 days from stranding by myself and dr. Povinelli.

All postmortem findings will be compared with those found during necropsies carried out on whales stranded in Corfù.

Best regards

Sandro Mazzariol

This is to let you know that more animals have stranded along the west coasts of Corfu during the last two days. Yesterday, 6 December three more animals stranded along the coasts. Two of them stranded in the same beach and one stranded alone 9.3 km further north. Today, one more animal was found in another beach.

All new animals were found dead (in contrast to previous ones) and their decomposition state indicates that their death occurred approximately at the same time with the animals found stranded the 30 November. All new stranding positions were spread between the northern and southern positions that we had already reported. Efforts are made by Dr. A. Komnenou (School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaloniki) to co-ordinate local veterinarians in order to collect tissue samples from the new animals.

The number of whales involved in the mass stranding, which have been recorded so far, is seven or eight for Corfu (Greece) plus two in Italy. It is reasonable to think that there are more animals in the pelagic waters of the Ionian Sea, which may never reach the coasts. The local and apparently small Ionian population unit has suffered three stranding events coinciding in time and space with use of military sonar in the past (plus one in east Sicily earlier this year). There should be little doubt (if any) that the cumulative damage at the population level is high.

Begin forwarded message:

From: Alexandros Frantzis
Date: 1. Dezember 2011 01:04:32 MEZ
To: ecs-talk@jiscmail.ac.uk, marmam@lists.uvic.ca
Subject: [MARMAM] New atypical mass stranding of Ziphius in the Ionian Sea, Greece

Dear all,

Once more we have bad news regarding Cuvier’s beaked whales in the Ionian Sea. The local population unit, which has repeatedly been affected by NATO naval activity (last time in February 2011 east of Sicily) may be steadily heading towards its extinction…

Today 30 November 2011 at least three Cuvier’s beaked whales stranded alive and atypically in west Corfu, along 23 km of coast. All whales were led offshore by people who tried to rescue them. One whale died some 200 m offshore. Another whale, after having swam some 600 m offshore, returned and stranded once more (if this wasn’t a different animal). It was led once more offshore after the sunset, so no further information is available so far. The third animal was not seen after it was “rescued”.

Repeated use of military sonar and now growing seismic survey activity go on in an area that is critical for the two deep diving Mediterranean species, the Cuvier’s and the sperm whales. In 2007 ACCOBAMS officially proposed the creation of a MPA for deep diving cetaceans in the eastern Ionian Sea (Hellenic Trench), but nothing has happened so far.

Best wishes,
Alexandros
–
___________________________________________

Dr. Alexandros Frantzis
Scientific director
Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute
Terpsichoris 21
16671 Vouliagmeni,
GREECE
Tel.: +30-210-8960108
e-mail: afrantzis@otenet.gr
website: http://www.pelagosinstitute.gr
___________________________________________

From: “Jasny, Michael”
Date: 2. Dezember 2011 12:04:20 MEZ
To:
Subject: [MARMAM] update on ziphius mass stranding in the Ionian Sea

Dear all,

I have some additional information on activities taking place in the Ionian Sea that may be associated with yesterday’s mass stranding.

From November 27 through today (Dec. 2), the Italian Navy has been conducting a major exercise known as “Mare Aperto” in the central-southern Tyrrhenian, Ionian, and southern Adriatic. The exercise includes maritime surveillance and force projection from the sea. In past years, Mare Aperto has involved as many as 12 ships including frigates and aircraft carriers.

At least one of the participating ships in this year’s exercise is an Italian Maestrale-class frigate called the Scirocco. The Maestrale class is reportedly equipped with two active sonar systems: the hull-mounted DE 1160B, which, according to Jane’s Underwater Warfare, is basically identical to the U.S. Navy’s AN/AQS-56; and VDS DE 1164, which is a variable-depth version of the same system.

Of course, the exercise covered a wide area, and we don’t yet know how closely it may be correlated in space and time with the mass strandings. All possible causes, including other anthropogenic noise sources, should be investigated. But I would urge ACCOBAMS, and anyone with contacts in the region, to request specific information from the Italian Navy on the nature, timing, and location of activities associated with Mare Aperto, including the use of active acoustic systems.

Best to all,
Michael

Michael Jasny
Senior Policy Analyst
Natural Resources Defense Council