Project Update: June 2010

Between April 23rd and May 23rd, 13 boat surveys were carried out along Tribugá’s gulf, traveling 1267.9 km. Since depth increases gradually from the coast, transects covered a significant portion of the bathymetric gradient (0 – 4000 m). Sighted species included: bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata), spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) and rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis). Sightings occurred in depths between 11 and 1267m. Sighted groups often included all age classes. Groups were generally bigger in spinner dolphins (150 and 300 individuals) than in other species (2 to 60 individuals).

Environmental education activities included a marine mammals’ identification workshop with touristic operators in Coquí and workshops at primary and high schools in four locations: Arusí, Joví, Coquí and Nuquí. Touristic activities are incipient and limited to July-October humpback whales' season. Strandings seem to be very rare, so the biggest conservation threat seems to be entanglements occurring occasionally on industrial tuna fisheries.