Species you can see:

Common bottlenose dolphin - Tursiops truncatus

It is possibly the best known and most widely distributed of all Delphinidae species. It has a fusiform body shape (streamlined); body colour varies from dark grey on the dorsal cape to pale grey on the side and white on the underside, which may have a pinkish glow when the summer water temperature is high. The bottlenose dolphin measures between 1.9 m to 4 m when adult and weighs anything from 100 kg to 500 kg. In the Adriatic, animals usually reach up to 3 m in length and weigh about 200 kg. Bottlenose dolphins feed mostly on benthic fish and small squids, and therefore are often in direct competition with fishermen. They are famous for their curiosity and this makes them prone to entanglement, particularly in gillnets, which in turn is a major form of premature death for the species. Although there is no current worldwide estimation of their population, based on the aerial surveys we carried out, their number in the Adriatic is estimated at around 10,000 individuals.

Cuviers beaked whale - Ziphius cavirostris

It is a large-sized odontocete with adults reaching between 5.5 and 7m in length. Of all the beaked whales it has the widest distribution range: global, only absent in polar waters. Historic information regarding the distribution and occurrence of this species in the Adriatic Sea is scarce. Based on stranded animals this species was considered occasional/rare. A relatively recent review on the occurrence of the species in the Adriatic suggested that the southern Adriatic Sea could actually be an important habitat for Cuviers beaked whale. Sightings occurred in waters with depths between 700-1200m in the areas of steep bathymetry. It is notable that sightings are grouped along the northern and eastern part of the south Adriatic basin where there is almost a direct drop to the depth of 1000m. Sightings, included females with juvenile animals (suckling animal), indicating the southern Adriatic as important area for this species.

Fin whale - Balaenoptera physalus

The fin whale is a widely-distributed species found throughout the major oceans, particularly in cool temperate and polar latitudes. They also inhabit the Mediterranean Sea and research shows that these animals form a genetically distinct population. Fin whales are occasional visitors to the Adriatic Sea with the last sightings near the Island of Vis and near the Island of Lošinj. Fin whales are generally found alone or in small groups, with occasional congregations of up to 100 animals in feeding areas. They mainly feed on krill (small copepods), and small fish, particularly mackerel, herring and capelin. The body is hydro-dynamically shaped with pleated throat grooves which can be expanded when feeding. They feed by lunging through the water open mouthed and filtering the engulfed water using baleen. They are the second largest mammal on earth, exceeded in size only by the blue whale. The body is dark grey above and white or cream coloured on the underside. Females may grow up to 27 m long, weighing nearly 100 tonnes. They may live longer than 80 years. In the 20th century they became the most exploited whale species, with 725,000 killed in the southern hemisphere alone. Their worldwide status is currently unknown. In Mediterranean they are listed as Vulnerable (VU).

Risso's dolphin - Grampus griseus

They are relatively large dolphins measuring up to 4m in length. Most distinctive is the blunt head without beak and dark coloration dominated by whitish scars which they accumulate throughout life, making older animals appear almost white. Risso’s dolphins are distributed worldwide in tropical and temperate seas with preference for deep offshore waters and coastal areas with narrow continental shelves. The Risso’s dolphin is present in the entire Mediterranean Sea and is considered a regular inhabitant, although its abundance throughout the basin is unknown. There is an important presence of this species in the southern part of the Adriatic, in particular in areas with steep slope and depths between 600-900m.

Short-beaked common dolphin - Delphinus dolphis

The Short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) hereafter referred to as “the common dolphin” is abundant throughout the continental shelf and pelagic waters of tropical and warm temperate regions in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This species was also found in the Mediterranean and Black Seas, including the Adriatic Sea. Until the early 1970’s this species was one of the most abundant Mediterranean species, but has since experienced a major decline leading to total disappearance from large parts of the previous range. Organised culling campaigns in many Mediterranean countries were the factor leading to their disappearance. The dolphins were perceived as competitors for fish and were considered “pests”. Although these animals occasionally occur in the Adriatic, they are considered regionally extinct as a resident breeding population does not exist. Depending on their habitat, common dolphins can feed on a great variety of prey. Their diet includes small schooling fish such as herring, anchovies, sardines and also cephalopods. They are composed of smaller family subunits of about 20-30 probably closely related individuals. Their average life span is estimated to be over 30 years.

Striped dolphin - Stenella coeruleoalba

The striped dolphin is a small, globally distributed, pelagic dolphin found in warm temperate and tropical waters. It is the most abundant dolphin species in the Mediterranean Sea. In the Adriatic, a large population of over 20,000 animals inhabit southern pelagic waters. Occasionally, they can be observed in central and even northern Adriatic with individuals recorded around the islands of Lošinj and Krk. Striped dolphins congregate in dense pods. The size of pods can vary from 10-30 to several hundreds of individuals, and their composition is flexible. The species maximum life span has been estimated as approximately 58 years. Being an oceanic dolphin, striped dolphins mainly feed on small shoaling fish and pelagic squids, with an obvious preference for the latter in the Mediterranean. In order to reach their prey, they may dive some 700 meters. These dolphins are very fast swimmers and, in the Mediterranean, are estimated to travel at an average of 15 km per hour.