Sightings:
Imagine sailing on a catamaran or sailboat, accompanied by a marine biologist who will guide you in dolphin watching.
As you approach the crystal-clear waters of the sea, the view of the horizon makes you feel free and alive. The excitement grows when you hear the dolphins’ breath and see them jumping and swimming around the boat.
The marine biologist will explain everything about the life and behavior of dolphins, and will give you advice on how to observe them without disturbing their natural habitat.
Together you can explore deeper waters, discover marine flora and fauna, and experience an authentic and nature-respecting adventure.
A dolphin watching experience with a marine biologist on board a catamaran or sailboat is a unique opportunity to discover the beauty of nature and learn to respect it. Not only will you have fun, but you’ll also learn something new and become a careful guardian of the sea.
Have you ever thought about a sailing vacation to discover the marine world? Then you’re reading about the experience that’s right for you…
In the onboard crew, there will be a Marine Biologist who will act as your guide during this wonderful experience that you will always carry with you.
With this figure on board, you will have the opportunity to experience the sea as you’ve always imagined it.
In particular, on board there will be marine biologists from Avvistiamo, who are involved in the protection of whales, dolphins, and sea turtles. With them, you can engage in sea watching activities, observing the species that inhabit the sea: from birds to fish, from marine mammals to turtles, both from the boat and through snorkeling or diving.
During the observation, data will be recorded about the location and behavior of the sighted animals, contributing to research through what is called citizen science.
What you might spot: from the most fascinating bird species like shearwaters: splendid pelagic birds with elegant flight that spend most of their existence in the open sea, migrating to the other side of the ocean and returning to our cliffs to breed. And it’s precisely the presence of seagulls and shearwaters on the water’s surface that can indicate the presence of a ‘feeding frenzy’, a bubble of anchovies that is brought to the surface by predatory fish. For this reason, with a bit of luck, you might see sea birds and swordfish or a school of tuna jumping at the same time!
A great spectacle is that of striped or bottlenose dolphins suddenly appearing in front of the boat’s bow, surfing and jumping! During spring, it’s possible to encounter larger cetaceans like fin whales or sperm whales, especially if sailing around the Aeolian Islands or along the Strait of Messina, used by these sea giants for their migrations.
When making sightings, it’s important to follow a proper code of conduct and not get too close to avoid disturbing the animals in their natural behaviors.
Where is it most likely to have these spectacular encounters?
Certainly in the Pelagos Sanctuary, that stretch of sea between Tuscany, Sardinia, and France where the particular chemical-physical characteristics induced by the morphology and water circulation make the area one of the richest in life in the Mediterranean.
But the Sicily Channel is also rich in biodiversity, and it’s not uncommon to encounter, sailing between Sicily and Malta, with the right weather and sea conditions, sharks, manta rays, sunfish, but also rarer cetaceans like Cuvier’s beaked whales and pilot whales.
What to bring with you? Snorkeling equipment (mask and fins), but above all, the desire for adventure. So all that’s left is to set sail and go in search of emotions – we SPOT!