European Ocean Biodiversity Information System

Founded in 2009, the Jonian Dolphin Conservation (JDC) is a naturalistic association specializing in cetacean research, dolphin watching and educational programs. JDC has been studying the cetaceans of the Taranto coastal zone since April 2009. The research area is a wide band of sea between Ginosa Marina and Taranto. We work all year in the Ionian sea on a group of resident Striped Dolphin, and frequently we sight other species of cetaceans including Fin Whale, Risso's Dolphin and Bottlenose Dolphin. We've spent almost 400 hours at sea and 80 hours with cetaceans. The surveys were conducted aboard a rubber dinghy 8.20 meters, equipped for ocean navigation. Normally, we use two different types of navigation: free surveys (carried out without following predefined routes) and surveys along linear transect.