Cetaceans in Greece: Present status of knowledge

Cetaceans in Greece: 

Present status of knowledge 

Technical Report 

Initiative for the Conservation of Cetaceans in Greece 

Prepared by Dr. Alexandros Frantzis 

July 2009 

1

Suggested citation for this technical report 

Frantzis A. 2009. Cetaceans in Greece: Present status of knowledge. Initiative for the Conservation of 

Cetaceans in Greece, Athens, Greece, 94 pp. 

Note regarding this document 

This document, together with the ‘National Conservation Strategy and Action Plan for the 

Conservation of Cetaceans in Greece’ is the result of a collaboration between four non-governmental 

organisations – MOm, Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, Tethys Research Institute and WWF 

Greece – intended to advance the conservation of cetaceans in Greece through joint, coordinated 

actions of its members. These organisations agreed that the goal of conserving cetaceans can be 

achieved more effectively through cooperative work than through isolated efforts. 

Note regarding the drawings in this document 

All cetacean drawings were made by Massimo Demma/ICRAM and kindly offered for the needs of 

this report. No reproduction is allowed without prior written permission. 

Note on the property of data of this document 

This report contains unpublished data. Although proper citation of information included in the 

document is allowed, no reproduction, use or re-analysis of original data are allowed without prior 

written authorization by the author. 

Cover photo 

Striped dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth. 

© A. Frantzis / Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute

Organisations supporting the 

Initiative for the Conservation of Cetaceans in Greece 

MOm, The Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal 

Solomou 18 

10682 Athens 

Greece 

Tel.: +30-210-5222888 

Website: http://www.mom.gr 

Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute 

Terpsichoris 21 

16671 Vouliagmeni 


Tel.: +30-210-8960108 

Website: http://www.pelagosinstitute.gr 

Tethys Research Institute 

c/o Acquario Civico 

Viale G.B. Gadio 2 

20121 Milano 

Italy 

Tel.: +39-0272001947 

Website: http://www.tethys.org 

WWF Greece 

Filellinon 26 

10558 Athens 


Tel.: +30-210-3314893 

Website: http://www.wwf.gr 

1

CONTENTS 

ORIGIN AND SCOPE OF THIS REPORT 5 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 

CETACEAN TERMINOLOGY AND COMMON NAMES IN GREEK 9 

METHODS AND DATASET 11 

INFORMATION FROM CETACEAN RECORDS 15 

SUMMARISED INFORMATION ON COMMONLY OCCURRING SPECIES 19 

CETACEAN SPECIES COMMONLY OCCURRING IN THE GREEK SEAS 21 

Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus (��) 23 

Sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus (��) 27 

Cuvier’s beaked whale, Ziphius cavirostris (��) 31 

Risso’s dolphin, Grampus griseus (��) 35 

Common bottlenose dolphin, Tursiops truncatus (��) 39 

Striped dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba (��) 43 

Short-beaked common dolphin, Delphinus delphis (�� ) 47 

Harbour porpoise, Phocoena phocoena (��) 53 

RARE CETACEAN SPECIES IN THE GREEK SEAS AND AROUND THEM 57 

Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae (�� ) 59 

Minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata (��) 61 

False killer whale, Pseudorca crassidens (��) 63 

Beaked whales, Mesoplodon sp. (��) 65 

Rough-toothed dolphin, Steno bredanensis (�� ) 67 

FALSE REPORTS OF CETACEAN SPECIES IN THE GREEK SEAS 69 

WHAT IS KNOWN, WHAT REMAINS UNKNOWN 71 

ARE THE GREEK CETACEAN POPULATIONS DECLINING? 73 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 75 

LITERATURE CITED 76 

ANNEX I Distribution of searching effort in the Greek Seas 83 

ANNEX II Distribution maps of sightings and strandings 84 

ANNEX III Additional references on the cetaceans of the Greek Seas 93 

3

ORIGIN AND SCOPE OF THIS REPORT 

The Greek Seas host a large number of different cetacean species and constitute an 

important marine area within the Mediterranean Sea. Over the last decades there has been 

limited effort invested in the study of cetacean species by various national and international 

research and conservation groups. Current and past research activities have been focused 

in distinct areas resulting in a patchy mosaic of our knowledge on cetaceans across Greece. 

These studies provide strong evidence for the continuous decline in the abundance of 

cetacean species in the Greek Seas and increasing anthropogenic mortality, suggesting the 

urgent need for conservation actions. The lack of substantial funding on a national scale 

basis, the failure of national and international authorities to secure protection for cetaceans 

and the absence of joint initiatives among the various research and conservation cetacean 

expert groups has become a major obstacle in effectively addressing the continuous 

degradation of marine ecosystems and of the decline of cetacean species in Greece. 

The present document represents the first and an important step towards a new joint 

initiative for the conservation of cetacean species in the Greek Seas. The new initiative is a 

common effort between research groups, institutes, environmental NGOs and individual 

experts dedicated for decades to the research and active conservation of the marine 

environment and marine mammals. MOm/Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of 

the Monk Seal, Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, WWF-Greece, Tethys Research 

Institute and Dr. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara comprise the core of the new initiative, 

which was established to tackle the cetaceans issue. The participants of the new initiative 

have planed a number of tasks for the forthcoming future, first of which is the "Technical 

Report on Cetaceans in Greece: Present status and distribution”. 

This document, presenting the current status of knowledge of the cetaceans in Greece, will 

serve as the scientific basis upon which we will built the appropriate strategy for the 

conservation of cetaceans throughout the country and will guide our common efforts to 

advance and ultimately achieve the common goal of ensuring the recovery and long-term 

viability of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Greek waters. 

On behalf of the participants of the initiative, 

Dr. Spyros Kotomatas 

Director of MOm 

5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

From 1991 to 2008 data on the presence and distribution of cetaceans in the Greek Seas 

have been systematically gathered in a database that - together with some older historical 

records - accounted for 1416 sightings and 1392 stranded animals. Data originated from 

dedicated surveys, stranding reports, opportunistic sightings, scientific publications and 

published or unpublished photographic and video documentation. These data provide a 

solid overview on the species composition of the Greek cetacean fauna. Species diversity, 

underestimated in the past, is supported by the variety of habitats off the Greek coasts. 

Eleven cetacean species have been identified within the limits of the Greek Seas (defined 

by the national borders and the encompassed international waters). Six species are present 

year-round in all or many of the Greek Seas: striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), 

common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus 

delphis), Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), sperm whale (Physeter 

macrocephalus) and Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus). Two species, the harbour porpoise 

(Phocoena phocoena) and the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), have been recorded 

locally in all seasons and at least the former is likely to be present year round; however, 

more data are required to understand patterns of seasonality in distribution and occurrence. 

The remaining three species - humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), false killer whale 

(Pseudorca crassidens) and common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - have 

rarely been recorded in the Greek Seas. One more species (not included in our dataset) - 

the rough-toothed dolphin (Steno bredanensis) - was recorded in offshore waters in 

proximity to the Greek Seas (central Ionian Sea). 

Six species have been erroneously included in the Greek cetacean fauna in the past, due to 

wrong assumptions, false identifications or lack of minimal supporting evidence: white whale 

(Delphinapterus leuca), Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens), Blainville's beaked 

whale (Mesoplodon densirostris), long-finned pilot whale (Globicephala melas), killer whale 

(Orcinus orca), and blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus). 

The cetacean species recorded in the Greek Seas can be divided in three major categories 

according to their distribution. The striped dolphin, the common bottlenose dolphin, the 

sperm whale and the Cuvier’s beaked whale seem to be present in the entire range of the 

bathymetry/habitat that is considered typical for them. The short-beaked common dolphin, 

the fin whale and the harbour porpoise have heterogeneous distributions within their 

potential habitats. The Risso’s dolphin can be predictably found only in few areas, although 

its occasional occurrence was documented in most portions of the Greek Seas. 

7

According to the distribution maps presented in this Report, the general geographic range of 

each cetacean species is known with sufficient detail to allow some general conclusions or 

general comparisons with future data. However, gaps of knowledge still exist at the level of 

local seas, with the exception of the entire Ionian Sea, west and south Hellenic Trench and 

Gulf of Corinth. Surveys in several areas of the Aegean Sea are acutely needed to map 

some species range with higher precision. Since sighting data have been collected primarily 

(but not exclusively) during the warm season, winter surveys are also necessary to detect 

possible movements and seasonal changes in the range of some cetacean species. 

Data regarding ecology and feeding habits, genetics and stock discreteness, life history, 

toxicology, histopathology, causes of death, biometry etc. are scarce and fragmentary. 

Limited information is available on anthropogenic threats and their relative importance per 

species. Such data are crucial for species conservation and for the management of human 

activities that have an impact on their populations. Although their collection is relatively easy 

and inexpensive, the lack of a properly organised national stranding network leaves a large 

number of cetacean carcasses uninspected, resulting in loss of valuable information. 

Finally, the most important gap of knowledge concerns the absolute abundance of each 

species population. With the exception of two small and local dolphin population units of 

common bottlenose dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins, and of the sperm whales, 

not even rough estimates of abundances are available for any species in the Greek Seas. 

Without such quantitative data, it is very difficult to adopt proper conservation policies and to 

monitor the effectiveness of any conservation measure at the national level. 

Although no population trends are available for any cetacean species in the Greek Seas, 

local studies, knowledge from other Mediterranean areas, evidence of increasing threats, as 

well as the apparently small size or uniqueness of several cetacean populations in the 

Greek Seas, all call for urgent conservation measures. 

As the local population units of four species in the Greek Seas that are considered 

“Endangered” (sperm whale, short-beaked common dolphin, harbour porpoise) or “Data 

deficient” (Cuvier’s beaked whale), are likely among the most important in the entire 

Mediterranean Sea, ensuring their long-term survival should be a national priority for the 

marine environment in Greece. 

8

CETACEAN TERMINOLOGY AND COMMON NAMES IN GREEK 

The use of incorrect terminology to refer to cetacean species is still widespread in Greece. 

This is mainly due to incorrect or literal translations of foreign documentaries and books with 

no scientific consultancy. Misleading common names are particularly widespread in the 

national media. This chapter intends to contribute to the adoption of a consistent sciencebased 

terminology. 

Most of the terminology problems start from the incorrect translation of the term ‘whale’ in 

Greek as ‘��’ (falaina), although the correct translation is ‘��’ (kitodes = 

cetacean). Unfortunately, the term ‘whale’ is used in English with two different meanings. 

Sensu lato it constitutes a synonym of the word ‘cetacean’, but sensu stricto it means ‘large 

cetacean’, which does not constitute a taxon and therefore adds to the confusion while 

translating from English to Greek. The term ‘whale’ sensu lato covers all whales, dolphins 

and porpoises. That’s why in English the distinction between ‘large whales’ and ‘small 

whales’ (sometimes including dolphins) or ‘baleen whales’ (mysticetes = ��) and 

‘toothed whales’ (odontocetes = ��) are often used instead of the general term 

‘whale’. According to the above the correct translation of the term ‘whale’ (sensu lato) in 

Greek is ‘��’ and not ‘��’. The word ‘��’ should be used only for the 

translation of the terms ‘baleen whale’ (literally ‘�� ’) or ‘mysticete’. The 

commonly used Greek term ‘��’ or ‘��’ should also be avoided for the 

translation of ‘baleen’, since the latter originates from the Greek term ‘��’ that passed 

in Latin as ‘balaena’ and later gave the term ‘baleen’ in English. The right word to use for the 

characteristic plates of whalebone in the mouth of mysticetes (baleens) is ‘��‘. This 

term makes immediately the link between all the mysticetes or ‘��’ and their 

taxonomic characteristic, which is the baleen or ‘��’. 

For all the above mentioned reasons the translation of the term ‘toothed whale’ as 

‘�� ’ is incorrect since no cetacean exists that bears both teeth and 

baleens. Accordingly, ‘baleen whale’ should not be translated as ‘�� ’, a 

term that constitutes a pleonasm, since all whales bear baleens by definition. 

As a consequence of the incorrect translation of the term ‘whale’, many odontocetes or even 

dolphins were called ‘��’ (baleen whales). Some of the most characteristic examples 

are the incorrect translations of ‘killer whale’, ‘pilot whale’, ‘beaked whale’ and ‘sperm 

whale’, to ‘�� ’, ‘�� ’, ‘��’ and ‘��’, 

respectively. However, none of these species are ‘��’ (baleen whales), since they do 

9

not belong to the suborder of mysticetes. In addition the first two of them are dolphins (i.e. 

belong to the odontocete family of delphinids). The right common names for these species 

or families are ‘��’, ‘��’, ‘��’ and ‘��’. 

The Greek common names of cetacean species used in this report are those proposed by 

Frantzis et al. 2003 and used in ACCOBAMS (2002) and IUCN (2006) documents. Greek 

name transcriptions in Latin characters in parenthesis follow ELOT (1982). The symbols of 

the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and tonic accents have been used to describe 

their pronunciation in Greek. For the reader who is not familiar with these symbols a few 

examples follow: i= see, ð= this, j= yours, �= ring, x= Scottish loch. No English equivalents 

exist for the symbols ‘c’ and ‘�’. However the closest sounds for the use of ‘c’ are ‘kye’ in 

fócena (harbour porpoise) and ‘kyee’ in cinó ðelfíni (common dolphin). The sound of ‘�’ in 

me�ápteri fálena (humpback whale) is between ‘g’ in the word ‘mega’ and ‘y’ in the word 

‘yes’. 

10

METHODS AND DATA USED 

The study area 

The Greek Seas include the east Ionian, the Aegean, the Cretan and the north-west 

Levantine Seas as well as the northern Cretan Passage between Crete and North Africa. 

They occupy the northern part of the eastern Mediterranean (roughly between 35°-41°N and 

20°-30°E) and are characterised by: (a) pronounced oligotrophy in most of their range, (b) 

highly irregular and very long coastline (>15,000 km) that accounts for one third of the total 

Mediterranean coastline, (c) almost 10,000 islands and islets, (d) some extended plateaux 

and (e) steep underwater relief of depressions and trenches reaching a maximum depth of 

5121m south-west of the Peloponnese (Stergiou et al. 1997). This rich geomorphology 

(Figure 1) creates a variety of marine ecosystems and habitats for various cetacean species. 

Figure 1. Map of the Greek Seas showing their bathymetry and the locations mentioned in this report. 1: 

Lefkada Island, 2: Kefallonia, 3: South Evvoikos Gulf, 4: Gavdos Island, 5: Zakynthos Island, 6: Kalamos 

Island, 7: Mytilini Island, 8: Kythira Island, 9: Rodos Island, 10: Karpathos Island, 11: Corfu Island, 12: Limnos 

Island, 13: Kyparissiakos Gulf, 14: Chios Island, 15: Bay of Tolo, 16: Skiathos Island, 17: Gerolimenas. 

11

Data collection 

Available cetacean records have been systematically gathered between 1991 and 2008 and 

inserted in a database. Sources included dedicated surveys, opportunistic sightings, 

stranding reports from stranding networks, published or unpublished photographic and video 

documentation of strandings or sightings, historical strandings published in the scientific 

literature and skeletal materials. All records presented in a previous published review 

(Frantzis et al. 2003), sightings from a published article on cetaceans of the Aegean Sea 

(Carpentieri et al. 1999), and confirmed first-hand sightings found in the literature have also 

been included in the dataset. This dataset accounted for 2809 records; 1392 strandings and 

1417 sightings. 

Surveys and sighting data 

Twenty six dedicated surveys were conducted during spring, summer or autumn (but 

predominantly in the summer) of each year, from 1991 to 2008 by the research teams of 

Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute (twenty two expeditions) and Tethys Research 

Institute (four expeditions). Surveys lasted from ten days up to three months and covered 

the Hellenic Trench, the Gulf of Corinth and in a lesser degree the Myrtoon Sea and the sea 

area between the Northern Sporades Islands and the Chalkidiki Peninsula (Figure 1). 

Ferries with standard routes were used as platforms of opportunity by Carpentieri et al. 

(1999) for their surveys in the Aegean and Cretan Seas. Conventional visual methods for 

detecting cetaceans have been used during the surveys. At least one experienced observer 

was continuously scanning the sea surface 180° in front of the vessel. Observers used 

intermittently binoculars and observations were interrupted when sea surface conditions 

reached 3 Beauforts (appearance of the first white caps). Geographic coordinates of the 

sightings were recorded with the aid of a Global Positioning System (GPS). Only the initial 

position of each sighting was considered, disregarding sighting duration or group-size 

changes, resulting in plots of one spot per sighting. Minimum distance from the closest coast 

and approximate bottom depth for all sightings were calculated a posteriori by GIS methods. 

In surveys along the Hellenic Trench, in the Northern Sporades – Chalkidiki area and 

Myrtoon Sea, joint acoustic and visual methods were used. In those cases a stereo towed 

hydrophone array allowed passive acoustic localisation of sperm whales. Published or kindly 

offered sighting data from dedicated surveys of research teams that crossed the Greek 

Seas (mainly IFAW, GREC and Voyage of Odyssey) were also included in the dataset. 

Opportunistic sightings recorded up to the end of 2008 in the Greek Seas have also been 

included in the database, only when supported by photos or videos that allowed an 

unbiased species identification. 

12

Sightings from the core study area of long-term studies on short-beaked common dolphins 

and common bottlenose dolphins in the inner east Ionian Sea (Bearzi et al. 2005, 2006) and 

the Amvrakikos Gulf (Bearzi et al. 2008a) have not been used, since their high numbers 

would create a very significant geographical unbalance in the dataset. 

Caution is due to the interpretation of the number of sightings recorded per species (Table 

1) since data include both opportunistic sightings and results of dedicated surveys that used 

different methods (e.g. visual versus joint visual-acoustic surveys). Even more importantly, 

some areas have been surveyed intensively or more systematically than others (Annex I, 

Figure 2); others have not been surveyed at all. As a result the number of sightings recorded 

per species is not directly indicative of the relative sighting frequencies in this study and the 

relative presence/absence on the maps is not directly indicative of abundance. 

Stranding data 

Stranding data (including floating carcasses and incidentally caught animals) were obtained 

mainly through the national stranding network established by the Hellenic Centre for Marine 

Research in collaboration with the Port Police authorities. This network provided information 

to various recipients (ministries, research centres and NGOs) during the period 1991-2002. 

By 2002 the available information started being centralised at the Ministry of the Marine 

Merchandise (YEN) from where copies of all records were obtained regularly. The network's 

data cover the period September 1991 – December 2008, and derive from standardised 

forms filled by local Port Police authorities. This network can not keep track of all the 

stranding events and the number of unreported strandings – some of which were 

incorporated to the dataset after becoming known through sources other than the network - 

is not negligible, particularly in the early years and the period 2003-2004. The stranding 

records used in this report originated from two independent databases. The database of 

Pelagos Cetcean Research Institute contained 1263 records and the database of MOm 

(Hellenic Society for the Study and Protection of the Monk Seal) contained 342 records. The 

two databases were merged and duplicates were eliminated. Stranding data refer to number 

of animals stranded and not to multiple stranding events (strandings of three or more 

individuals were rare and concerned mainly Cuvier’s beaked whales). 

The stranding data presented here may underreport smaller species, while large whales 

(mainly fin whales and sperm whales, which are conspicuous and account for ‘exceptional’ 

events) were more likely to be reported. Since Port Police and local veterinarians may not 

possess the expertise needed to correctly identify cetacean species, all information coming 

13

from the network was initially considered as suspect, except for the fact that a stranding did 

occur. After being meticulously checked, stranding reports were classified as ‘unidentified 

cetaceans’, ‘unidentified delphinids’ (common bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins or shortbeaked 

common dolphins) or ‘unidentified small delphinids’ (small dolphins of 2.5 m total 

length or less, in advanced decomposition, having a rostrum and 35 or more teeth in one 

jaw, which could be either striped dolphins or short-beaked common dolphins) if the 

absence of visual documents (photos or videos) or their quality could not allow for reliable 

species identification. It has to be noted that Risso’s dolphins are never reported by the Port 

Police as ‘dolphins’ because of their different head shape, so they could not be part of the 

unidentified delphinids. Identification only took into account species known to occur in the 

Mediterranean Sea (Reeves & Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006). 

According to the above mentioned procedure, species identification was possible in 47% of 

the total stranding records. Unidentified animals were almost exclusively common bottlenose 

dolphins, striped dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins. This fact resulted in 

important underestimation of the percentage of these species among identified strandings 

(Table 1). In order to overcome this problem and reach a better approximation of the real 

figures, we split the categories of a) ‘unidentified delphinids’ to common bottlenose dolphins, 

striped dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins according to the ratio 207:138:52 found 

among 397 identified stranded dolphins from 1996 to 2008 (Table 1), and b) ‘unidentified 

small delphinids’ to striped dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins according to the 

ratio 138:52 found among 190 identified stranded dolphins of these two species from 1996 

to 2008 (Table 1). This thirteen-year period was selected for two reasons: i) there were no 

strandings for each of these three dolphin species and for each year before 1996, ii) the 

ratio among these species’ strandings before 2006 was altered in favour of striped dolphins 

due to the Mediterranean morbillivirus epizootic, which peaked in 1992 in Greece (Aguilar 

and Raga 1993, Cebrian 1995, Aguilar 2000). Except for calculating new percentages for 

the occurrence of the small delphinid species among strandings from 1996 to 2008 (Table 

1), the results of the above extrapolation were not used for any other purpose (e.g. 

distribution maps). Thirty eight old and historical stranding records from the period 1840 - 

August 1991 were also included in the database since they were accompanied by photos or 

cited in scientific references (De Heildreich 1878, Bauer 1978, Kinzelbach 1986a, 1986b). 

The gender of stranded animals was included only after direct examination or when good 

photos of the genital area were available. Total lengths were retained only if measured by 

specialists or by local authorities instructed by experienced cetologists. 

14

INFORMATION FROM CETACEAN RECORDS 

Recorded species 

Eleven cetacean species have been identified in a total of 1416 sightings and 1392 stranded 

animals recorded in the Greek Seas (Table 1). Six of these species were observed yearround 

in all or many of the Greek Seas: striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba), common 

bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), short-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), 

Cuvier's beaked whale (Ziphius cavirostris), sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and 

Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus). A seventh species, the harbour porpoise (Phocoena 

phocoena), was also observed year-round, but due to the low number of records more data 

are needed to allow a definitive confirmation of year-round presence. One more species, the 

fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus), has been recorded during all seasons in both sighting 

and stranding data. However, based on the available information its presence in winter and 

spring may be either regular or occuring exceptionally in some years only. The remaining 

three species - humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae), false killer whale (Pseudorca 

crassidens) and common minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) - have rarely been 

recorded in the Greek Seas. 

Table 1: Number of sightings and stranded animals per cetacean species. The unidentified delphinids concern the 

species Tursiops truncatus, Stenella coeruleoalba and Delphinus delphis. The unidentified small delphinids 

concern the species S. coeruleoalba and D. delphis. Most of the unidentified cetaceans were probably specimens 

of Grampus griseus according to the reported information, but no photos were available. For the estimation of the 

extrapolated results (marked with asterisks) in the last two columns, see methodology in section “Stranding data”. 

Species Sightings 

Total 

stranded 

animals 

1840- 

Aug. 1991 

Stranded animals 

Sept. 1991- 

2008 

1996- 

2008 

Extrapolated 

1996-2008 

1 Stenella coeruleoalba 523 197 2 195 14.4% 138 305* 31.2% * 

2 Tursiops truncatus 305 234 2 232 17.2% 207 439* 44.8% * 

3 Delphinus delphis 140 55 - 55 4.1% 52 115* 11.7% * 

4 Ziphius cavirostris 70 100 18 82 6.1% 54 54 5.5% 

5 Physeter macrocephalus 300 26 7 19 1.4% 17 17 1.7% 

6 Grampus griseus 38 34 6 28 2.1% 22 22 2.2% 

7 Balaenoptera physalus 36 10 5 5 0.4% 5 5 0.5% 

8 Phocoena phocoena 1 15 - 15 1.1% 15 15 1.5% 

9 Pseudorca crassidens 1 1 - 1 0.1% - - - 

10 Megaptera novaeangliae 2 1 - 1 0.1% 1 1 0.1% 

11 Balaenoptera acutorostrata - 1 - 1 0.1% 1 1 0.1% 

Total identified 1416 674 40 634 46.9% 512 974* 99.5% * 

Unidentified cetaceans 7 - 7 0.5% 5 5 0.5% 

Unidentified delphinids 684 - 684 50.6% 444 0* 0.0% * 

Unidentified small delphinids 27 - 27 2.0% 18 0* 0.0% * 

Total 1416 1392 40 1352 100.0% 979 979 100.0% 

15

Distribution and effort 

The distribution of all available records (Figure 3, Annex II) provides a reasonably good 

coverage of the Greek Seas and therefore, the geographic range given for each species is 

thought to represent a good approximation of the real figures. Nevertheless, much more 

effort is needed in order to obtain the precise distribution of each species. The absence of 

sightings in some geographical areas is in most cases the result of lack of survey effort (e.g 

the central and eastern Aegean). However, in some particular areas (Patraikos Gulf and 

inner Ionian Sea) the absence of sightings more accurately reflects the scarcity of cetacean 

presence. Figure 2 in Annex I provides the distribution of the searching effort so far and it is 

particularly useful in avoiding misinterpretation of the results of this report, as well as for 

planning future research effort. 

The cetacean species recorded in the Greek Seas can be divided in three major categories 

according to their distribution: a) the striped dolphin, the common bottlenose dolphin, the 

sperm whale and the Cuvier’s beaked whale are or seem to be present in the entire range of 

the bathymetry/habitat that is considered typical for them, b) the short-beaked common 

dolphin, the fin whale and the harbour porpoise present heterogeneous distributions within 

their potential habitats, c) the Risso’s dolphin can be predictably found in a small number of 

areas only, although its occurrence (as sightings or strandings) has been recorded in most 

geographical areas of the Greek Seas. 

Stranding data 

Eleven species have been identified within the stranding record (Table 1). The percentage 

of identified animals among 1352 strandings from 1991 to 2008 was 47%. As the vast 

majority (99%) of unidentified animals belonged almost exclusively to three delphinid 

species (common bottlenose dolphins, striped dolphins and short-beaked common 

dolphins), their percentages among identified animals are underestimated. Extrapolated 

numbers for these three species (see methods in section “Stranding data”) for the period 

1996-2008 are presented in Table 1. The common bottlenose dolphin is the most common 

species among strandings (44.8%) followed by the striped dolphin (31.2%). Averages of ca. 

34 and 23 stranded animals per year were recorded for these two dolphin species, 

respectively. The short-beaked common dolphin was found among strandings with an 

average rate of 9 stranded animals per year (11.7%). The occurrence of Cuvier’s beaked 

whale (5.5%) in the stranding record accounted for about four animals per year, but when 

atypical mass strandings were excluded this number was about two per year. The Risso’s 

dolphin (2.2%), the sperm whale (1.7%) and the harbour porpoise (1.5%) accounted for 

16

about 1 to 1.5 strandings per year. Finally, the fin whale, the humpback whale and the 

common minke whale represented rare stranding events (less than 0.5% of the total 

strandings each). 

Mass strandings were relatively rare. Twenty-nine strandings involving more than one 

animal (couples, mass strandings sensu Geraci and Lounsbury 1993, or atypical mass 

strandings as described in Frantzis 1998) have been recorded during the period September 

1991 – December 2008. Two previous mass strandings of four Cuvier’s beaked whales 

each have been recorded in 1987 and 1988. In 31 stranding events involving more than one 

individual, twelve cases (39%) concerned Cuvier’s beaked whales, four cases (13%) 

concerned striped dolphins, one case concerned sperm whales, one case (entanglement) 

concerned striped dolphins and a Risso’s dolphin, one case concerned common bottlenose 

dolphins and twelve cases (39%) concerned unidentified delphinids. 

The atypical mass stranding of fourteen Cuvier’s beaked whales in 1996 was linked with the 

use of military sonar during exercises (Frantzis 1998). Another atypical mass stranding of 

nine Cuvier’s beaked whales in 1997 could also be due to similar causes (Frantzis 2003). 

At least in two cases striped dolphins and unidentified small delphinids bore obvious 

anthropogenic wounds (inflicted by knives). In two other cases three dolphins were found 

dead in neighbouring sites of the same coast during the same day; an indication that they 

were either killed intentionally or by-caught. In the first case these were two short-beaked 

common dolphins and one unidentified small delphinid. In the second case all three 

dolphins were unidentified, but heir sizes (2.65, 2.80 and 2.90 m) suggest that they were 

probably common bottlenose dolphins since common dolphins and striped dolphins do not 

reach such lengths in the Mediterranean Sea (Notarbartolo di Sciara 1997, Aguilar 2000, 

Bompar 2000). All these cases concern strandings which involved more than one individual 

of dolphins bearing anthropogenic wounds. Many cases of single dolphins with signs of 

intentional killing have been reported, but most of them were impossible to confirm or reject 

due to the the low quality or the absence of photos. 

In at least two cases, striped dolphins stranded alive and showed behavioural symptoms 

similar to those presented by dolphins infected by the Mediterranean morbillivirus. No 

detailed data are available for the rest of strandings that involved more than one individual. 

17

Sighting data 

Ten cetacean species (all but the minke whale) have been sighted in the Greek Seas (Table 

1). Two dolphin species, the striped dolphin (36.9%) and the common bottlenose dolphin 

(21.6%) accounted for more than half of the total number of sighting records. Dedicated 

sperm whale surveys (joint acoustic and visual methods) resulted in a relatively high 

percentage of sightings for this species (21.1%). Sightings of short-beaked common 

dolphins and Cuvier’s beaked whales were less frequent (9.9 and 4.9%, respectively); 

sightings of fin whales and Risso’s dolphins were relatively rare (2.7 and 2.5%, respectively). 

Finally, sightings of humpback whales, false killer whales and harbour porpoises were very 

rare and occurred twice for humpback whales (single anumals) and once for the other two 

species. If we consider only the surveys made in the pelagic waters and near the continental 

slope, the striped dolphin was the most frequently observed species, followed by the sperm 

whale, the Cuvier’s beaked whale, the Risso’s dolphin and the fin whale. Above the 

continental shelf, the common bottlenose dolphin was the most frequently observed species 

followed by the short-beaked common dolphin. 

18

SUMMARIZED INFORMATION FOR ALL COMMON SPECIES 

Table 2: Summary of information on the eight cetacean species that are regularly found in the Greek Seas. *Proposed IUCN Red List classification (Reeves & Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006) 

Details 

(in page) 

Greek 

Habitat IUCN Status 

common 

name Type Depth Distance 

Geographic distribution Main threats 

Mediterranean* Globally 

from coasts 

English 

common 

name 

Species 

Data deficient Endangered 23 

Ship strikes in 

the western 

Mediterranean 

Present in N Ionian Sea and 

especially from NW of Lefkada 

Island north up to N Corfu; at 

2.9 km 

(coastal) 

14.7 km 

(0.1-22.8 km) 

81 m (coastal) 

670 m 

(50-1337 m) 

Pelagic, 

occasionally 

coastal 

1 Balaenoptera physalus Fin whale �� 

Endangered Vulnerable 27 

Ship strikes 

Noise 

Plastic debris 

least occasionally in Saronikos 

Mainly along the Hellenic Trench 

from Kefallonia to E Rodos, also 

in deep basins/trenches of the 

Aegean Sea (Myrtoon, Cretan, N 

Ikarion, NW Aegean Sea) 

Present and locally (S Crete, W 

Lefkada) common all along the 

Hellenic Trench; present or 

common over steep depressions 

of the Aegean (e.g. N. Sporades) 

Common in Myrtoon Sea south to 

NW Crete, present or common in 

N. Sporades and Chalkidiki, 

present or rare or seasonal in all 

other Aegean and Ionian Seas 

Present in all coastal areas, 

straits, gulfs, and also between 

islands in the entire Ionian, 

Aegean and Cretan Seas with no 

exceptions. 

Common in all areas over depths 

>500 m (present in >200 m) 

including Gulf of Corinth. 

Absent/vagrant in depths

CETACEAN SPECIES COMMONLY OCCURRING IN THE GREEK SEAS 

Drawings by Massimo Demma / ICRAM 

21

Balaenoptera physalus (Linnaeus, 1758) 

Drawing by Massimo Demma / ICRAM 

Taxonomy 

Fin whale 

Order: Cetacea (Κητώδη) 

Suborder: Mysticeti (Μυστακοκήτη) 

Family: Balaenopteridae (Φαλαινοπτερίδες) 

Subfamily: Balaenopterinae (Φαλαινοπτερίνες) 

Genus: Balaenoptera 

Species: Balaenoptera physalus 

Relevant common names 

Scientific name: Balaenoptera physalus 

Common Πτεροφάλαινα 

name: 

Transcription: Pterofálaina 

Pronunciation: pterofálena 

EN fin whale AR (harcul chaii) 

FR rorqual commun TR uzun balina 

ES rorcual común AL balene kokemadhe 

IT balenottera comune HR veliki kit 

DE Finnwal HE (livyatan matzui) 

PT baleia-comum ML baliena mbaðða 

Size 

The available information on body size of fin whales of the Mediterranean population, part of 

which are those visiting the Greek Seas, is coming from 103 stranded specimens in the 

period 1798-1997 (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2003). The maximum total length of 

Mediterranean fin whales is above 20 m; probably somewhere between 21 and 23 m. 

Because almost all stranded whales that were ≥20 m were reported as “approximately 20 m” 

and most of them originate from the 19 th century, no precise measurements of large 

specimens are available. The mean total length form strandings is 13.8 m. Females may be 

slightly larger than males and total length at birth is probably close to 5.2 m. The total length 

of measured fin whales that stranded along the Greek coasts range between 10-14.5 m, but 

skeletal remains of one specimen indicate a total length of approximately 20 m. 

23

Reported sightings and strandings 

There are 36 sightings of fin whales recorded in the Greek Seas, most of them (31) 

originating from the north Ionian Sea and Saronikos Gulf. Three of the sightings in the inner 

Ionian Sea concerned the same individual. The sightings in Saronikos Gulf were all made in 

two different years within periods that spanned five and two months. Fin whale strandings 

are relatively rare in Greece (ten in total) and only half of them have been recorded after 

1991 (Table 1). 

Geographic range 

The fin whale seems to be predictably present off the northern Ionian Islands and 

particularly northwest of Lefkada Island. Four sightings and four strandings were recorded 

further to the south along the Hellenic Trench. Fin whales seem to be rare in the Aegean 

Sea, but they were repeatedly reported in the Saronikos Gulf in 1998, 2006 (stranding) and 

2008. Fin whales may visit, regularly or occasionally, specific areas of the Aegean Sea 

during winter or spring, when prey abundance may be suitable to their needs. Single 

individuals and small groups of up to three or four fin whales were observed repeatedly in 

Saronikos Gulf in the spring of 1998 and 2008, and one stranding was recorded in spring 

2006. Exceptional near-coast observations were made in the western Mediterranean Sea 

during summer and autumn 1997, and were related to particular oceanographic conditions 

(Beaubrun et al. 1999; Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2003). Apparently regular winter 

presence (January to March) close to the coasts was reported in Lampedusa Island (Italy) 

and has been related to feeding (Canese et al. 2006). Except for sightings in Saronikos Gulf, 

all other sightings in the Greek Seas come from the warm season from June to September 

when most of the search effort occurs. Fin whales have been occasionally observed to 

wander in shallow coastal waters (south Peloponnese) or enclosed sea areas like the inner 

eastern Ionian Sea. The single presence of a fin whale in the closed Gulf of Corinth was a 

case of a wandering animal that apparently died later in this gulf. 

Habitat 

Fin whales in the Mediterranean appear to be markedly pelagic. They are primarily observed 

in deep (over 2000 m) offshore waters, although their occurrence over the continental slope 

or the continental shelf is not unusual (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2003). The mean water 

depth from 15 fin whale sightings made in the open Ionian Sea was only 670 m (sd=398) 

and the mean distance from the coasts was 14.7 km (sd=6.2). These values are certainly 

underestimates of the real figures, since they occurred while surveying areas relatively close 

to the coasts. However, there are 17 sightings made in the inner Greek Ionian Sea, the 

south Peloponnese and Saronikos Gulf showing presence in even shallower and more 

coastal waters over the continental shelf or even in closed gulfs and bays. Their mean water 

depth and distance from the coasts are 81 m (sd=50) and 2.9 km (sd=2.8), respectively. 

This strong variability in habitat characteristics may be due to year-to-year differences in 

oceanographic conditions and therefore, variable distributions and densities of the fin 

whales’ principal prey in the Mediterranean (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2003). It is 

noteworthy that all fin whale records in Saronikos Gulf occurred in early spring, in three 

different years. At least during the last time (in 2008), the sightings coincided with very high 

densities of krill in the gulf (personal observations). 

24

Abundance 

The fin whales that visit the Greek Seas seem to be a small part of the Mediterranean fin 

whale population and it is probably meaningless to try to guess a size for the “Greek” 

population unit. Even if such a number could be estimated or guessed, it is reasonable to 

think that it would be variable from year to year, since the known range of the species in the 

Greek Ionian Sea is limited and its presence in Saronikos Gulf or the entire Aegean Sea is 

apparently variable. There is no population estimation for the entire Mediterranean Sea, 

(Notarbartolo di Sciara & Panigada 2006). The best guess for the entire Mediterranean 

population would be in the low thousands, as an extrapolation from estimates of abundance 

for the western basin that varied between roughly 1000 and 3500 animals (Forcada et al. 

1995, 1996). Probably few tens up to very few hundreds among them are found in or visit 

yearly the Greek Seas. 

Population trend 

The Mediterranean population trend is completely unknown and no time series of sighting 

frequencies exist for the fin whales visiting the Greek Seas. 

Degree of residency and/or isolation 

The seasonality of observations in Saronikos Gulf may be suggestive of seasonal migrations 

that are well known for the Mediterranean fin whale population (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 

2003). There is no evidence in favour or against a single, panmictic population in the 

Mediterranean or a metapopulation comprised of a number of subunits. 

No genetic study has been made on fin whale from the Greek Seas. Genetic analyses 

showed that the Mediterranean fin whales are largely resident in the basin, although limited 

but recurrent gene flow occurs through the Straits of Gibraltar (Bérubé et al. 1998, Palsbøll 

et al. 2004), and satellite tagging confirmed these findings (Guinet et al. 2005). 

Seasonality of reproduction 

No data are available from the Greek Seas and no neonates were found among strandings. 

According to data from the western Mediterranean, the frequency of occurrence of neonates 

is higher between September and January, with a peak in November, but births may occur 

throughout the year in the Mediterranean (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2003). 

Feeding habits 

Unknown in the Greek Seas, but the seasonal coincidence of fin whales with concentrations 

of krill in Saronikos Gulf (personal observations) and the observations of bright orange, 

football-sized floating feces of fin whales in the eastern Ionian Sea (Notarbartolo di Sciara et 

al. 2003) are both indicative of krill feeding. Krill is known to be the main fin whale prey in the 

Ligurian-Corsican-Provençal Basin during summer, but feeding on epipelagic fish may also 

occur in other locations of the Mediterranean (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2003). 

25

Main threats 

In the western Mediterranean ship strikes constitute the main known source of 

anthropogenic mortality for fin whales. Shipping noise and vessel disturbance, particularly 

from the unregulated whale watching, is another source of concern (Notarbartolo di Sciara & 

Panigada 2006). No information is available on threats to fin whales in the Greek Seas. 

IUCN Red List classification 

Mediterranean subpopulation proposed as ‘Data Deficient’ (Notarbartolo di Sciara & 

Panigada 2006); listed as ‘Endangered’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

26

Physeter macrocephalus (Linnaeus, 1758) 


Taxonomy 

Sperm whale 


Suborder: Odontoceti (Οδοντοκήτη) 

Suprafamily: Physeteroidea (Φυσητηροειδή) 

Family: Physeteridae (Φυσητηρίδες) 

Genus: Physeter 

Species: Physeter macrocephalus 


Scientific name: Physeter macrocephalus 

Common Φυσητήρας 

name: 

Transcription: Fysitíras 

Pronunciation: fysitíras 

EN sperm whale AR (anbar) 

FR cachalot TR kačalot 

ES cachalote AL kashalot 

IT capodoglio HR ulješura 

DE Pottwal HE (roshtan) 

PT cachalote ML gabdoll 

Size 

The largest female stranded in Greece was 10.0 m long and the maximum total length 

measured acoustically (Gordon 1991) for female sperm whales is 9.1 m (Pelagos Cetacean 

Research Institute, unpublished data). The largest male measured acoustically was 14.6 m 

(Frantzis & Alexiadou 2008). However, the lower jaw bone of a stranded male indicates a 

total length between 15.5 and 17.5 m (Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, unpublished 

data). The maximum total length recorded for Mediterranean female and male sperm whales 

is approximately 10.5 m and 17.3 m, respectively (Cagnolaro 1996, Centro Studi Cetacei 

1997). The smallest stranded animal in Greece was 4.0 m long, and although its 

decomposition state did not allow a definitive conclusion, it did not seem to be a neonate. 

Size at birth ranges globally for sperm whales between 3.5 and 4.5 m (Best et al. 1984). 

27


There are 300 sightings of sperm whales recorded in the Greek Seas, most of them (274) 

recorded along the Hellenic Trench, mostly in the framework of dedicated surveys in this 

area. During the last decade sperm whale strandings occurred along the Greek coasts at the 

rate of approximately 1.5 whales per year. The total record includes 26 strandings, of which 

19 recorded after 1991 (Table 1). 


The existence of a deep trench all around Greece (the Hellenic Trench) as well as smaller 

steep depressions and trenches in the Aegean Sea (Figure 1) make the Greek Seas an 

important habitat for sperm whales, both solitary males and social units. Sperm whales are 

present year-round along the Hellenic Trench, most sightings being recorded from SW 

Kefallonia Island south to W Peloponnese, W and S Crete. Their presence along the 

Hellenic Trench continues north-eastern to Karpathos Island and E Rodos Island in the 

Levantine Sea. Sperm whales can also occur in the Myrtoon Sea, Cretan Sea, N Ikarion Sea 

and all steep depressions of the Aegean Sea, particularly in the area between the Northern 

Sporades and the Chalkidiki Peninsula. Several strandings and one sighting in the shallow 

Cyclades Islands area that has not been surveyed sufficiently yet indicate that sperm whales 

may cross it while moving from one area of steep underwater relief to another. Sperm 

whales are also present in further offshore waters off the Hellenic Trench, although their 

abundance appears to decrease at greater distances from the trench (Frantzis et al. in 

preparation). 

Habitat 

Sperm whales occupy both the continental slope and pelagic habitats in the Greek Seas, 

although their abundance is higher along the continental slope (Frantzis et al. in 

preparation). Occasionally, they may be found over the continental shelf, since they enter 

the Aegean Sea plateau to reach deep basins or trenches in the north Aegean. The mean 

water depth and distance from the coasts of 188 sperm whale sightings made along the 

Hellenic Trench was 1235 m (range 510-2933 m; sd=426) and 7.9 km (range 1.6-25.2 km; 

sd=4.9), respectively. These values may be representative only for sperm whales along the 

continental slope, since the available sightings far offshore over the abyssal plains (pelagic 

habitat) are extremely few. The year-round presence of both mature males and social 

groups of females with young calves across the Hellenic Trench highlights the extraordinary 

importance of this habitat for the protection of the Mediterranean population of this species. 

Abundance 

There is no estimate of abundance for the entire sperm whale population of the 

Mediterranean Sea, however, a guess of regional specialists place it closer to the mid 

hundreds than the few thousands (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2006). There is a recent 

estimation for the entire Ionian Sea (including international and Italian waters) that accounts 

for 62 individuals (Lewis et al. 2008). This may be an underestimate of the real figures since 

the relevant surveys did not consider the Hellenic Trench as a separate stratum, did not 

account for non-vocalizing animals (calves or resting individuals) and may have 

28

underestimated the total number of individuals clustered in social units (the survey track just 

crossed them, without additional effort in counting them with joint acoustic/visual methods), 

as acknowledged by the authors. During eleven years of research on sperm whales of the 

Greek Seas, 166 individuals have been photo-identified so far, and the first rough 

estimations indicate a total close to 200 individuals that live along or cross the Hellenic 

Trench (Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute unpublished data). Considering that some of 

the individuals observed in the Aegean Sea were also photo-identified in the Hellenic 

Trench, the entire sub-population of sperm whales living in the Greek Seas is unlikely to 

exceed 300 animals. 


The population trend of Mediterranean sperm whales is not clearly known, but the available 

evidence and the high number of individuals removed by driftnet fisheries are consistent with 

the hypothesis of a marked decline (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2006). The Greek subpopulation 

is also thought to be decreasing since the suspected mortality rate from only one 

anthropogenic cause, namely collisions with large vessels as indicated by propeller marks 

on the body of stranded sperm whales, seems too high to be sustainable (Pelagos 

Cetacean Research Institute unpublished data). 


Resightings of photo-identified individuals on an almost yearly basis from 1998 to 2008 

indicate that sperm whales are at least seasonally resident in the Greek Seas, and may 

spend many years of their life in the Greek Seas or close to them (Frantzis et al. in 

preparation). Occasional observations revealed that individuals “captured” photographically 

during the summer/autumn season are also present along the Hellenic Trench during winter 

(Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, unpublished data). There are no data regarding the 

degree of isolation between the sperm whales of the eastern and western Mediterranean 

basins. It has to be noted that coda comparisons indicated that such isolation is possible 

(Rendel et al. 2007). In addition, no photo-identification matches have been made so far 

between individuals in the two basins (NAMSC, DELPHIS, CIRCE, Tethys Research 

Institute and Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute databases). Nevertheless, mt-DNA and 

microsatelite genetic comparisons have clearly shown that the Mediterranean sperm whale 

population differs significantly from the Atlantic one (Engelhaupt et al. submitted) 


Observations of 9 newborns and 3 stranded young calves indicate that most births occur 

from mid June to end of August with a peak in July, although some births may occur in late 

winter to early spring (Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute unpublished data). 


Prey items in the stomach content of five sperm whales stranded in Greece only included 

squids and squid remains (Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute unpublished data). One 

29

published stomach content contained the remains of seven cephalopod species, 

Histioteuthis bonnellii being the dominant one (Roberts 2003). 


Although mortality in pelagic driftnets appears to be the most likely cause of recent decline 

for sperm whales at the Mediterranean level (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2006), ship strikes 

seem to be the most important threat for the species in the Greek Seas. Almost two out of 

three sperm whales stranded in Greece bear marks of collision with a large vessel (Pelagos 

Cetacean Research Institute, unpublished data). Ingested plastic debris (found in three of 

five stomach contents; unpublished data) and underwater noise from seismic surveys, 

military operations, and illegal dynamite fishing (still common in sperm whale habitat; 

Frantzis et al. 2003) are other sources of concern (Notarbartolo di Sciara & Gordon 1997). 


Mediterranean subpopulation proposed as ‘Endangered’ (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2006); 

listed as ‘Vulnerable’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

30


Taxonomy 

Ziphius cavirostris G. Cuvier, 1823 



Suprafamily: Ziphioidea (Ζιφιοειδή) 

Family: Ziphiidae (Ζιφιίδες) 

Subfamily: Ziphiinae (Ζιφιίνες) 

Genus: Ziphius 

Species: Ziphius cavirostris 


Cuvier’s beaked whale 

Scientific name: Ziphius cavirostris 

Common Ζιφιός 

name: 

Transcription: Zifiós 

Pronunciation: zifjós 

EN Cuvier’s beaked whale AR (zifius) 

FR ziphius TR Kuvier balinasi 

ES zifio de Cuvier AL baleen me sqep 

IT zifio HR Cuvierov kit 

DE Cuvier schnabelwal HE (zifyus chalul chartom) 

PT zifio ML baliena ta’ Kuvjer 

Size 

Information on the body size of Cuvier’s beaked whales in the Mediterranean Sea originates 

from stranded animals and clearly indicates smaller sizes than those observed in the oceans 

where animals larger than 6 m are recorded. The average size for both sexes globally is 6 m 

and the largest reliably measured individual was 6.93 m according to Heyning (1989). 

However, the largest Cuvier’s beaked whales recorded in the Mediterranean were 7.6 m (a 

female; Casinos & Vericad 1976) and 6.3 m (Duguy 1985). These measurements are much 

longer than the third and fourth longer available ones (5.8 and 5.70 m; Centro Studi Cetacei 

1995, 1996). The largest specimen measured in Greece was a male 5.32 m long, bearing 

erupted small teeth. The total length at birth globally is 2.7 m (Heyning 1989). However, a 

2.20 m individual stranded in Greece does not seem to be an aborted fetus based on the 

available photos, suggesting that size at birth may be smaller. 

31


There are 70 sightings of Cuvier’s beaked whales recorded in the Greek Seas, mostly (66) 

in the Hellenic Trench. Cuvier’s beaked whale strandings (100 in total) and sightings were 

common in the Greek Seas until recently (Table 1), but became suspiciously rare during the 

last years. Cuvier’s beaked whales are the only cetacean species of the Greek Seas found 

stranded in groups of 2-4 individuals due to either natural or anthropogenic causes. Cuvier’s 

beaked whales have mass stranded twice in high numbers (at least 14 and 9 individuals). At 

least one of these cases was due to the use of military sonar (Frantzis 1998, 2004). 


In the Greek Seas Cuvier’s beaked whales seem to have a quite similar geographic range 

(with slight differences) to that of the sperm whale. Although present all along the Hellenic 

Trench from NW Corfu to E Rodos Island, the only known areas where this species can be 

predictably observed is the area of S Crete and W Lefkada. In addition, the Cuvier’s beaked 

whale seems to be present over steep depressions of the Aegean plateau (strandings in 

Chalkidiki, N Limnos, Ikarion Sea, S Milos Island and Karpathos Island), although 

observations are available only for the sea area north of the Northern Sporades and one for 

the Cretan Sea. It is not known if Cuvier’s beaked whales are also present further offshore, 

over the abyssal plains, although this seems probable according to other observations in the 

far offshore Ionian (J. Forcada in litteris) and west Mediterranean Sea. Very few strandings 

were recorded away from steep depressions and deep trenches and no sightings were 

made above the shallow waters of the continental shelf and the enclosed gulfs, where the 

Cuvier’s beaked whales are apparently absent. 

Habitat 

The Cuvier’s beaked whales occupy the continental slope and possibly pelagic waters as 

well in the Greek Seas. The mean water depth and distance from the coasts of 63 Cuvier’s 

beaked whale sightings made along the Hellenic Trench was 1066 m (range 491-2279 m; 

sd=343) and 8.6 km (range 2.1-26.5 km; sd=6.1), respectively. These values should be 

considered representative only for Cuvier’s beaked whales along the slope or above the 

Aegean plateau, since there are no available sightings farther offshore over abyssal plains. 

Important Cuvier’s beaked whale habitat seem to exist in portions of the Greek Seas that are 

among the very few areas known in the Mediterranean Sea where this species was or 

perhaps still is reasonably abundant (Frantzis et al. 2003, A. Cañadas, pers. comm.). Such 

habitats have a high conservation value for the Mediterranean population of this species, 

and therefore, would warrant conservation action. 

Abundance 

The available data do no allow estimating population abundance. Cuvier’s beaked whales 

are elusive animals difficult to observe or to detect acoustically. There are no population 

estimates anywhere in the Mediterranean Sea. 

32


While abundance trends remain unknown, a decrease in sightings and strandings (with no 

reduction in search effort) during the last decade raises concern over a possible population 

decline. Two mass stranding events removed a relatively high number of individuals (at least 

23) from local populations, but the total number of animals that died without reaching the 

coasts may have been much higher. The impact at the population level seems important, but 

could potentially be even dramatic. 


The stranding records cover all months of the year and indicate year-round presence in the 

Greek Seas. No studies have been conducted to elucidate the degree of residency of 

particular individuals or groups. Genetic studies on mt-DNA showed that the Mediterranean 

(represented by ten samples from Greece and two from Croatia) was highly distinct from the 

neighbouring Eastern North Atlantic. Haplotype diversity was also lower in the 

Mediterranean than in other regions, suggesting that this population could be both isolated 

and relatively small. The eastern Mediterranean population, in particular, was suggested to 

represent a separate “evolutionarily significant unit” (Dalebout et al. 2005). 


The smallest calf (2.20 m) found in Greece stranded in late June. Four calves ranging 

between 3.2 and 3.5 m were found stranded in November or early December. The only 

observation of a free-ranging young calf occurred in July. These data (Pelagos Cetacean 

Research Institute, unpublished data) indicate that most births should occur during early or 

mid summer. 


Based on the available stomach contents, Cuvier’s beaked whales feed exclusively or 

mainly on mesopelagic and bathypelagic squids. Only squid remains were found in seven 

stomachs of animals that mass stranded in the W Peloponnese (Hellenic Trench). The 

analysis of a small number of squid beaks from these stomachs revealed the presence of 

three species: Histioteuthis bonnellii, H. reversa and Octopoteuthis sicula (Lefkaditou & 

Poulopoulos 1998). These species are also prey items of sperm whales in Greece (Roberts 

2003). Similarly, one more stomach from a stranded individual contained only squid remains 

and a large number of squid beaks that remain to be identified (A. Frantzis, unpublished 

data). Stomach contents from other Mediterranean areas also contained only squid remains 

from nine mesopelagic and bathypelagic species (Blanco et al. 1997). 


The most important threat for this species is likely anthropogenic noise, responsible for 

significant mortality in Greece and the Mediterranean Sea in general. Military sonars and 

possibly high-energy sounds from other anthropogenic sources have repeatedly resulted in 

33

the stranding and death of several Cuvier’s beaked whales (Frantzis 1998, Jepson et al. 

2003, Fernández et al. 2005). The impact of such mortality at the population level is 

uncertain, but there is increasing evidence indicating that it may be localy important. Another 

source of concern is the ingestion of plastic debris by Cuvier’s beaked whales. Two stranded 

animals in Greece had stomachs full of pieces of plastic bags. 


Mediterranean subpopulation proposed as ‘Data Deficient’ (Cañadas 2006); listed as 

‘Vulnerable’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

34


Taxonomy 

Grampus griseus (G. Cuvier, 1812) 



Suprafamily: Delphinoidea (∆ελφινοειδή) 

Family: Delphinidae (∆ελφινίδες) 

Genus: Grampus 

Species: Grampus griseus 


Risso’s dolphin 

Scientific name: Grampus griseus 

Common Σταχτοδέλφινο 

name: 

Transcription: Stachtodélfino 

Pronunciation: staxtoðélfino 

EN Risso’s dolphin AR (ghrambous) 

FR dauphin de Risso TR grampus 

ES calderón gris AL ; 

IT grampo HR dobri dupin 

DE Rundkopfdelphin HE (grampus) 

PT grampo ML denfil griú 

Size 

The Risso’s dolphin is the largest dolphin species regularly occurring in the Greek Seas. The 

average total length form 20 stranded specimens measured in Greece is 2.92 m (sd=0.45). 

The maximum total length is 3.30 m and the minimum 1.73 m. The longest precisely 

measured known specimen in the Mediterranean Sea was 3.51 m (Centro Studi Cetacei 

1995). The average length world-wide is 3.5 m, the maximum is 4.09 m and length at birth 

ranges between 1.1 and 1.5 m, no differences being observed between sexes (Kruse et al. 

1999). 

35


There are 38 sightings of Risso’s dolphins recorded in the Greek Seas, mainly spread all 

over the Aegean Sea. All the sightings in the Gulf of Corinth concern repeated observations 

of the same two photo-identified individuals. Strandings of Risso’s dolphins are not rare in 

Greece, although much less frequent than those of all other resident dolphin species (Table 

1). The 34 strandings reported here are spread homogeneously in the Ionian, Aegean and 

Cretan Seas. 


The distribution of the recorded sightings and strandings of Risso’s dolphins in the Greek 

Seas seems to be homogeneous and indicates that the species may be present in all parts 

of the Greek Seas. However, there is only one known area where Risso’s dolphins can be 

predictably found and this is the Myrtoon Sea south to the NW Crete. The sightings made in 

SW Crete come from the years 1998 and 1999, but despite the continuous effort no other 

sightings were made in this area until the end of 2008. The sightings in the Gulf of Corinth all 

come from the same two photo-identified individuals first observed in 1997 (Frantzis & 

Herzing 2002). Two other areas where sightings and strandings have been recorded are the 

Northern Sporades and the sea area of the Chalkidiki Peninsula. Surprisingly, no Risso’s 

dolphins have been observed in the Ionian Sea, despite intense survey effort during more 

than a decade. However, the species occurs in the area, since nine strandings (two of which 

were live animals) have been recorded from the N Corfu to S Peloponnese. Apparently the 

species is present in low numbers or out of the warm season, when all the survey effort is 

concentrated. Eight strandings in the Ionian Sea have been recorded from the end of 

September to late April, and one in June. Sightings and strandings of Risso’s dolphins have 

also been recorded in the relatively shallow area of the Cyclades Islands. 

Habitat 

Risso’s dolphins have been observed mainly in the slope habitat, but also close to the coast 

and over the Aegean plateau, like in the Cyclades. This explains why the average depth of 

observations is less than that of sperm whales and the Cuvier’s beaked whales. This is also 

due to the fact that the depressions in the Aegean Sea (where many of the sightings come 

from) have shallower depths than along the Hellenic Trench (where few observations are 

available for this species). The mean water depth and distance from the coasts of 37 Risso’s 

dolphin sightings is 737 m (range 165-171 m; sd=380) and 8.2 km (range 0.3-28.32 km; 

sd=5.8), respectively. It is probable that Risso’s dolphins are present farther offshore, over 

the abyssal plains, at least in the Levantine Sea (Song of the Whale Research Team 2007). 

In the western Mediterranean Risso’s dolphins show a preference for deep pelagic waters, 

in particular over steep shelf slopes and submarine canyons (Gaspari and Natoli 2006, 

Azzelino et al. 2008). 

Abundance 

There are no available data on the abundance of this species in the Greek Seas. The 

stranding and sighting numbers indicate that it is much less abundant than striped dolphins, 

common bottlenose dolphins and short-beaked common dolphins, and probably more 

36

abundant than fin whales and harbour porpoises. No abundance estimates are available for 

the Risso’s dolphins in the Mediterranean, except for a small zone covering 32.000 km 2 off 

the Valencian coasts in Spain (Gómez de Segura et al. 2006), where the estimate was 493 

animals. In all surveyed areas in the Western Mediterranean, encounter rates have been 

variable but generally low (i.e. 0.1-0.2 encounters per km; Gaspari and Natoli 2006). 


Population trends are unknown, both at the regional and local level. 


Information from strandings and sightings suggests that Risso’s dolphins may be present in 

Greek waters year-round. However, they may be seasonal in the Ionian Sea, where 

strandings (including live animals) were recorded almost exclusively during the cold months 

(end September – late April). Risso’s dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea are genetically 

differentiated from those in the eastern Atlantic and some evidence exists of population 

structure within the Mediterranean (Gaspari et al. 2006). 


No data are available from the Greek Seas or the Mediterranean, and no neonates were 

included in the stranding record. A young animal of 1.73 m stranded in late November and 

another, approximately 1.7 m long, stranded in late June. A calf was observed at sea in mid 

August. 


The diet of Risso’s dolphins is based on squid and occasional fish (Kruse et al. 1999). In two 

stomach contents from Greece there were several unidentified squids and squid remains, 

and one stomach contained the entire skeleton of a largehead hairtail Trichiurus lepturus 

about 85-90 cm long. Only one squid beak was found in the stomach of a third Risso’s 

dolphin that was apparently sick while observed for several days before it died and stranded. 


Entanglement in longlines or nets was the cause of death for at least four stranded animals. 

Bycatch in fishing gear has also been reported to occur elsewhere in the Mediterranean 

(Gaspari and Natoli 2006). The stomach of one adult that stranded alive was full of plastic 

debris. 

37


Mediterranean subpopulation proposed as ‘Data Deficient’ (Gaspari and Natoli 2006); listed 

as ‘Least Concern’ globally (Notarbartolo di Sciara et al. 2006, IUCN 2008). 

38


Taxonomy 

Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) 





Genus: Tursiops 

Species: Tursiops truncatus 


Bottlenose dolphin 

Scientific name: Tursiops truncatus 

Common Ρινοδέλφινο 

name: 

Transcription: Rinodélfino 

Pronunciation: rinoðélfino 

EN common bottlenose dolphin AR (delphin kabir) 

FR grand dauphin TR afalina 

ES delfín mular AL delfin i madh 

IT tursiope HR dobri dupin 

DE Grosser tümmler HE (dolphinan yam hatichon) 

PT roaz corvineiro ML denfil geddumu qasir 

Size 

The common bottlenose dolphin is the second largest dolphin species regularly occurring in 

the Greek Seas after the Risso’s dolphin. The average total length of 185 stranded 

specimens measured in Greece is 2.44 m (sd=0.55). The maximum total lengths for males 

and females are 3.30 and 3.20 m respectively, and the minimum is 1.10 m for a neonate 

bearing fetal folds. The longest specimens in the Mediterranean Sea were a male 3.38 m 

(Universitat de Barcelona 1994) and a female also 3.38 m (Centro Studi Cetacei 1996). The 

maximum length world-wide is 3.81 m and length at birth ranges between 1.03 and 1.28 m 

(Wells & Scott 1999). 

39


There are 305 sightings of common bottlenose dolphins spread all over the Greek Seas. 

This species is by far the most common cetacean in the stranding record (Table 1), as 

almost half of all strandings (44.8% in the extrapolated data) belong to this species. The 234 

strandings are also spread quite homogeneously all over Greece. 


The distribution of the recorded sightings and strandings of common bottlenose dolphins in 

the Greek Seas is homogeneous and shows that the species is present in most or all 

portions of the Greek Seas. It is present in all coastal areas, straits and gulfs, but also 

between islands in the entire Ionian, Aegean and Cretan Seas. The common bottlenose 

dolphin is the only cetacean species present in the shallow and enclosed Amvrakikos Gulf 

with an important and possibly isolated population unit (Bearzi et al. 2008a), and it is also 

present in the North and South Evvoikos Gulfs (Zafeiropoulos & Merlini 2001). It is also 

present along steep coasts with no continental shelf along the Hellenic Trench, although 

less common in comparison with shallow areas and plateaux. 

Habitat 

The common bottlenose dolphin occupies the continental shelf in the Greek Seas, within the 

200 m depth contour. It may be found far from the coasts in the Aegean plateau, since the 

depth may still be suitably low. It has also been observed a few times above the continental 

slope. The average depth and distance from the coast of 303 common bottlenose dolphin 

sightings is 121 m (range 1-1504 m; sd=233) and 3.0 km (range 0.0-26.0 km; sd=4.1), 

respectively. No offshore observations have been made along the Hellenic Trench, with the 

exception of a single animal south of Crete. In several areas common bottlenose dolphins 

share their habitat with short-beaked common dolphins. 

Abundance 

The common bottlenose dolphin is the cetacean species that is most commonly found in 

Greek coastal waters and the second most abundant species after the striped dolphins. 

There is no abundance estimate for common bottlenose dolphins in the Greek Seas. The 

absolute abundance of a local population unit of this species inhabiting the Amvrakikos Gulf 

is 148 (Bearzi et al. 2008a). 


Population trends are unknown, but they are not expected to differ from the suspected 

Mediterranean population trend, which is negative (Bearzi et al. 2008c). 

40


According to stranding and sighting data the common bottlenose dolphin is present yearround 

in the Greek Seas. Mediterranean common bottlenose dolphins are genetically 

differentiated from those inhabiting the contiguous eastern North Atlantic Ocean (Natoli et al. 

2005). Based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analyses, discrete populations have been 

identified across the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Population structure was 

detected and the following populations were identified: Black Sea, eastern Mediterranean, 

western Mediterranean, eastern North Atlantic. Significant genetic differentiation was 

observed between populations from the eastern and the western Mediterranean (Natoli et al. 

2005). 


Strandings of three newborns with fetal folds, 1.10-1.30 m long, and seven strandings of 

newborns or young calves of 1.20-1.30 m indicate that most births occur from April to early 

September. One calf 1.2 m long was found stranded at the end of November. 


In Mediterranean coastal waters, bottlenose dolphins target primarily demersal prey. 

Reported prey items include demersal species such as European hake Merluccius 

merluccius, European conger Conger conger, red mullet Mullus barbatus, striped red mullet 

Mullus surmuletus, common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, common octopus Octopus vulgaris 

and a variety of other bony fishes and mollusks (Bearzi et al. 2008c). However, epipelagic 

species including European pilchard Sardina pilchardus and round sardinella Sardinella 

aurita are important prey for bottlenose dolphins living in the Amvrakikos Gulf (Bearzi et al. 

2008a), whilst those in the inner Ionian Sea predominantly target demersal prey (Bearzi et 

al. 2005). 


The two most important threats for this species in Greece and the Mediterranean in general 

are: 1) the reduced availability of prey caused by overfishing, and 2) incidental mortality in 

fishing gear (Bearzi et al. 2008c). Intentional killing is still a cause of mortality in Greece, and 

therefore, a threat for the species, although it seems to occur less often than in the past 

decades. Another developing potential or real threat is the noise produced by Acoustic 

Harassment Devices or Acoustic Deterrent Devices (often called “pingers”; see Bearzi et al. 

2008c). Massively sold to coastal artisanal fishermen and sea farm owners in order to 

mitigate the damage to their fishing gears or cages, they may have exclusion effects on the 

dolphins, which feed in the same coastal habitat that is harvested by humans. 


Mediterranean subpopulation proposed as ‘Vulnerable’ (Bearzi & Fortuna 2006); listed as 

‘Vulnerable’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

41


Taxonomy 

Stenella coeruleoalba (Meyen, 1833) 





Genus: Stenella 

Species: Stenella coeruleoalba 


Striped dolphin 

Scientific name: Stenella coeruleoalba 

Common Ζωνοδέλφινο 

name: 

Transcription: Zonodélfino 

Pronunciation: zonoðélfino 

EN striped dolphin AR (delfin azraq wa abyad) 

FR dauphin bleu et blanc TR çizgili yunus 

ES delfín listado AL ? 

IT stenella striata HR prugasti dupin 

DE Blauweißer delfin HE (stenella mefuspeset) 

PT golfinho riscado ML denfil geddumu qasir 

Size 

The body length of Mediterranean striped dolphins is generally shorter than in oceanic 

populations (reaching 2.56 m). Males are slightly larger than females (Archer II & Perrin 

1999, Aguilar 2000). The average length of 110 animals stranded in Greece is 1.65 m 

(sd=0.39). The maximum length for males is 2.20 m and for females 2.15 m. In the 

Mediterranean, the longest specimen is a male 2.27 m long (Van Canneyt et al. 1998) and a 

female 2.25 m long (Duguy 1986). Higher reported values (2.4 to 2.8 m) should be 

considered dubious. Length at birth in the Mediterranean has been reported as 0.90-0.95 m 

(Aguilar 1991). However, newborns of 0.80 m were recorded in Greece and other 

Mediterranean countries. Mediterranean striped dolphins are thought to have the smallest 

size in the world (Aguilar 2000). A 0.79 m specimen was measured by Port Police 

authorities following expert instructions. 

43


There were 523 sightings of striped dolphins recorded all over the Greek Seas. This species 

is the second most common among strandings (Table 1), almost one third of all strandings 

(31.2% in the extrapolated data) belonging to this species. The 197 strandings recorded are 

spread all over Greece. 


Striped dolphin records in the Greek Seas suggest that the species is present in all deep 

(>500 m) and pelagic waters. It is present also at intermediate depths of 200-500 m. 

Although strandings of this species were reported from shallow or enclosed gulfs (inner 

Thermaikos, Pagasitikos, inner Saronikos, inner S Evvoikos) and shallow seas (Thracian 

Sea, inner Ionian Sea, Cyclades area), striped dolphin presence there is unlikely. Striped 

dolphins have been observed rarely in coastal areas. Only two sightings of striped dolphins 

occurred above the shallow waters of the continental shelf in the area between Lefkada, 

Kefallonia and Zakynthos Islands and the mainland (inner Ionian Sea), which has been 

surveyed intensively during the last fifteen years. The only enclosed gulf where striped 

dolphins regularly occur and seem to be resident or even isolated is the deep Gulf of 

Corinth, where they often form mixed groups with short-beaked common dolphins and 

occasionally with Risso’s dolphins as well (Frantzis & Herzing 2002). 

Habitat 

The striped dolphin occupies the continental slope and pelagic habitat in the Greek Seas, 

and probably or potentially all waters beyond the 200 m contour. Exceptionally, it can be 

found over shallower waters (see Geographic range). It can also be found close to the coast 

wherever the continental slope is very steep and situated near the coastline, e.g. in the Gulf 

of Corinth and along the Hellenic Trench. The average depth and distance from the coast of 

522 striped dolphin sightings is 1024 m (range 75-2920 m; sd=484) and 8.7 km (range 0.6- 

37.1 km; sd=5.8), respectively. As the occurrence of striped dolphins is likely to extend 

further offshore, the average distance from the coast is certainly underestimated. 

Abundance 

The striped dolphin is apparently the most abundant species in the Greek Seas, as it is in 

the entire Mediterranean Sea (Forcada et al. 1994, Song of the Whale Research Team 

2007). An estimate of about 120,000 individuals was made for the western Mediterranean 

excluding the Tyrrhenian Sea in 1991 and 1992 (Forcada et al. 1994). There is no 

abundance estimate for striped dolphins in the Greek Seas. 


Population trends in the Greek Seas are completely unknown. The Mediterranean 

population trend was very negative in the last two decades and suspected of a 30% 

reduction in the last 60 years, but it is currently uncertain (Aguilar 2006). 

44


According to stranding and sighting data the striped dolphin is present year-round in the 

Greek Seas. Morphological (Calzada and Aguilar 1995, Archer 1997) and genetic (García- 

Martínez et al. 1995) studies show that the Mediterranean and eastern North Atlantic 

populations are isolated from each other, with little or no gene flow across the Strait of 

Gibraltar. Variation in body size within the Mediterranean basin is suggestive of population 

structure and/or restriction in gene flow among areas (Calzada and Aguilar 1995). The 

dispersal range is considered sufficiently limited among populations across the 

Mediterranean (and possibly between some inshore and offshore populations) to make 

differentiation possible, especially between the eastern and western Mediterranean basins 

(Gaspari 2004). 

A particular case of isolation concerns the small population of very few hundreds of striped 

dolphins inhabiting the inner part of the enclosed Gulf of Corinth. This population seems to 

be isolated and represents a possibly unique case of a closed population of striped dolphins. 

Because of its relatively small size and its isolation, this population unit seems extremely 

fragile and should be considered a designatable unit on the basis of precaution. 


Among the youngest stranded striped dolphins in Greece, four measured less than 0.90 m 

and stranded from mid July to late August, seven measured 0.92-0.97 m and stranded from 

mid July to late August, and one measured 0.93 m and stranded the 10 th of September. 

These dates suggest a peak of births by the end of July and beginning of August and births 

mainly occurring in July and August. This apparent reproductive season appears to be a bit 

earlier than what has been reported for the western Mediterranean (Aguilar 1991, 2000). 


The diet of Mediterranean striped dolphins includes cephalopod species, fish and 

crustaceans, but cephalopods seem to be the usual prey with fish and crustaceans being 

more occasional (Würtz & Marrale 1991, Pulcini et al. 1992, Blanco et al. 1995). Some of the 

most common cephalopods include Todarodes sagittatus and Histioteuthis sp. Fish prey 

includes both small epipelagic (e.g. Engraulis encrasicolous) and bathypelagic species (e.g. 

Myctophids). No stomach content analyses have been performed so far in Greece. 


The most important presumed threats for striped dolphins in the Greek Seas include 1) 

chemical pollution, 2) intentional killing and 3) entrapment in driftnets. Biomagnification of 

xenobiotic compounds may be the most important threat. A die-off devastated the 

Mediterranean population in 1990-1992. The primary cause of the die-off was a morbillivirus 

infection, but PCBs and other organochlorine pollutants with potential for causing 

immunosuppressive effects were suggested to have triggered the event and/or enhanced its 

45

spread and lethality (Aguilar & Borrell 1994). Blubber concentrations of DDT and PCB, the 

two main organochlorine pollutants, show a slowly declining trend in the last two decades 

(Aguilar & Borrell, 2005) but levels are still high. Intentional killing is still a cause of mortality 

in the Greek Seas, although less than in the past decades. Although fishing gear damage 

and depredation predominantly involves common bottlenose dolphins, fishermen in the 

Greek Seas may not be able to discriminate among dolphin species killing in retaliation may 

involve other dolphin species including striped dolphins. Incidental mortality in pelagic 

gillnets (driftnets, ferrettare, thonailles etc.) are a major source of mortality all over the 

western Mediterranean, likely killing thousands of striped dolphins per year in several parts 

of the Mediterranean (e.g. Aguilar 2006). Their use in waters surrounding the Greek Seas is 

relatively limited, and seems to concern predominantly or exclusively boats belonging to the 

Italian and Turkish fishing fleets. No Greek boats seem to be using these nets. 


Mediterranean subpopulation proposed as ‘Vulnerable’ (Aguilar 2006); listed as ‘Least 

Concern’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

46

Drawing by Massimo Demma 

Taxonomy 

Delphinus delphis Linnaeus, 1758 





Genus: Delphinus 

Species: Delphinus delphis 


Sort-beak common dolphin 

Scientific name: Delphinus delphis 

Common Κοινό δελφίνι 

name: 

Transcription: Kinó delfíni 

Pronunciation: cinó ðelfíni 

EN short-beaked common dolphin AR (delphin adi) 

FR dauphin commun TR tirtak 

ES delfín común AL delfin i zakonshem 

IT delfino comune HR dupin zlocesti 

DE Gemeiner delphin HE (dolphin muvhaq) 

PT golfinho vulgar ML denfil 

Size 

Mediterranean short-beaked common dolphins are smaller than some oceanic populations. 

Males are slightly larger than females (Murphy & Rogan 2006). The average total length of 

32 stranded specimens measured in Greece is 1.80 m (sd=0.37). The maximum total length 

was 2.27 m for a male. Two specimens were reported to be 2.30 m long but the precision of 

these measurements cannot be confirmed. The minimum length recorded is 1.07 m and a 

neonate was reported to be


There are 140 sightings of common dolphins recorded in the Greek Seas (many sightings 

from long-term dedicated surveys in the northern inner Ionian Sea have not been included). 

Most of the sightings come from Gulf of Corinth (52) and the northern part of the inner Ionian 

Sea (23). This species is the third most common among strandings (11.7% in the 

extrapolated data) after the common bottlenose and the striped dolphin (Table 1). Most of 

the 55 strandings have been recorded in areas where sightings are also available. 


The short-beaked common dolphins are present in the inner Ionian Sea and in the deeper 

waters of the eastern Gulf of Corinth. They are present and potentially common locally in 

portions of the shallow waters (depth

a similar abundance. Short-beaked common dolphins seem to be present in most of the 

shallow (


Once one of the commonest species in the Mediterranean Sea, the short-beaked common 

dolphin has experienced a generalised and major decrease in this region during the last 30- 

40 years (Bearzi et al. 2003). Population trends for the Greek Seas are unknown. However, 

overfishing of this species’ prey – the main cause of its rarefaction in the inner Ionian Sea 

(Bearzi et al. 2008b) – is a source of concern. Overishing has caused a continuous decline 

of fish biomass in the Greek Seas since the mid 90s (Stergiou 2005, Stergiou et al. 2007, 

Machias et al. 2007). Therefore, the population trend is likely negative in many or most parts 

of the Greek Seas. The rate of population decrease may vary from one area to another. In 

any case, if this rate is similar to the one recorded for the population unit of the inner Ionian 

Sea during the last decade (Bearzi et al. 2008b), then the species could rapidly disappear 

from the Greek Seas. 


According to stranding and sighting data the short-beaked common dolphin is present yearround 

in the Greek Seas. Studies in the inner Ionian Sea support this hypothesis, since the 

majority of the known individuals were regularly observed for many years (Bearzi et al. 

2008b). Recent genetic evidence (Natoli et al. 2008) indicates a relatively high degree of 

differentiation among short-beaked common dolphins in the Mediterranean and shows that 

dolphins of this species in the eastern part of the basin, including the inner Ionian Sea, are 

largely isolated from the western Mediterranean population. Only one sample was available 

from the Aegean Sea, so no differentiation between the Ionian and the Aegean Sea could 

be ascertained. However, distribution data suggest that geographic isolation between shortbeaked 

common dolphins inhabiting the Ionian and Aegean Seas is very likely. 


Only sparse information is available, indicating that births occur during the warm season. A 

young lactating calf 1.07 m long was found stranded in mid October, and a large fetus was 

found in the womb of a stranded female at the end of May. Finally, one dead newborn 

shorter than 1 m was found floating in late September, while its presumed mother was trying 

to keep it at surface (Politi pers comm.). 


The available information on the foraging ecology of common dolphins in the Mediterranean 

indicates relatively flexible feeding habits, with a preference for epipelagic and mesopelagic 

fish, similar to what has been observed outside the basin (Bearzi et al. 2003). The stomach 

contents from the western Mediterranean Sea indicate a diet based primarily on shoaling 

fish such as European anchovy Engraulis encrasicolus, European pilchard Sardina 

pilchardus, round sardinella Sardinella aurita and garpike Belone belone, but also on 

eurybathic cephalopod and crustacean species (Bearzi et al. 2003). In the waters of the 

inner Ionian Sea, shoaling fish including anchovies and sardines are the key prey 

(Clupeidae and Engraulidae account for 80% of the average diet according to Bearzi et al. 

50

2008b). No information is available from the Aegean Sea and the Gulf of Corinth. However, 

the habitat and behaviour of the few short-beaked common dolphins that live in mixed pods 

with striped dolphins in the Gulf of Corinth indicate that a diet primarily based on 

cephalopods is likely. 


The threats most likely implicated in the decline of Mediterranean short-beaked common 

dolphins are diverse and include prey depletion, contamination by xenobiotics, direct killing, 

fishery bycatch and global climate change (Bearzi et al. 2003). However, the long-term study 

of the inner Ionian population unit suggested that the most important threat is prey depletion 

caused by overfishing (Bearzi et al. 2008b). Unsustainable fisheries exploitation resulting in 

food-web and other damage are an ongoing and possibly increasing threat for this and other 

cetacean species in Greek waters. Overfishing has caused a continuing decline of the fish 

stock biomass in the Greek Seas since the mid 90s (Stergiou 2005, Stergiou et al. 2007), 

including the short-beaked common dolphin’s key prey (Machias et al. 2007). According to 

the available information, it seems that two more threats for this species in Greece are 

related to interactions with fisheries. A short-beaked common dolphin was found stranded 

with trammel nets around its head and lower jaws. Two more specimens that stranded in the 

N Aegean had marks probably originating from nets and a third one was found stranded with 

its flukes cut off by a knife. At least once, two or three short-beaked common dolphins were 

found stranded the same day in the Thracian Sea. This evidence indicates that bycatch and 

possibly direct killing occur and constitute a threat. Direct, intentional killing by some 

fishermen would not be a surprise, since it occurs for common bottlenose dolphins and 

striped dolphins and most fishermen do not discriminate among dolphin species. 


Mediterranean subpopulation classified as ‘Endangered’ (Bearzi 2003); listed as ‘Least 

Concern’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

51

Phocoena phocoena (Linnaeus, 1758) 


Taxonomy 

Harbour porpoise 




Family: Phocoenidae (Φωκαινίδες) 

Genus: Phocoena 

Species: Phocoena phocoena 

Sub-species: Phocoena phocoena relicta Abel, 1905 


Scientific name: Phocoena phocoena 

Common Φώκαινα 

name: 

Transcription: Fókaina 

Pronunciation: fócena 

EN harbour porpoise AR (khanzir al bahr) 

FR marsouin commun TR mutur 

ES marsopa común AL ? 

IT focena comune HR obalna pliskaviča 

DE Schweinswal HE (foqena) 

PT boto ML denfil iswed 

Size 

The harbour porpoise is one of the smallest cetaceans in the world and in all populations 

females are consistently larger than males (Read 1999). The size of the Aegean 

(Mediterranean) harbour porpoise is thought to be the same of that of the Black Sea 

population, which is smaller than the Atlantic population (Rosel et al. 2003). The available 

information on body length is coming from 13 stranded specimens (M. Koutrakis, pers. 

comm., Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, unpublished data). The total length of eight 

females was 1.03-1.57 m with an average of 1.35 m (sd=0.19). The total length of six males 

was 1.13-1.35 m with an average of 1.25 m (sd=0.08). A male 1.45 m long has recently 

stranded in the Turkish Aegean coasts (Güçlüsoy 2007). The maximum length worldwide is 

2.08 m for a female, while the length at birth is about 0.70 m (Read 1999). 

53


There is only one sighting of harbour porpoises recorded in the Greek Seas, but it has to be 

noted that no dedicated surveys have been conducted in the areas mainly inhabited by this 

species (Thracian Sea and Thermaikos Gulf). The available information regarding the 

species comes from 15 strandings (Table 1); of which 13 were recorded in the northern 

Aegean Sea. 


Until the mid 1990s the harbour porpoise was considered absent or extinct in the 

Mediterranean Sea (Frantzis et al. 2001). Its presence is now definitely confirmed by 15 

strandings and one sighting and it is limited to the northern part of the Aegean Sea. The 

harbour porpoise is absent from the rest of the Mediterranean basin and has been recorded 

exceptionally as a vagrant species close to the Gibraltar area (Frantzis et al. 2001). Until 

2006 all records of harbour porpoises concerned exclusively the northernmost part of the 

Aegean Sea and particularly the Thracian Sea. Since 2006 three new strandings were 

reported further south, on both the west and east coasts of the Aegean Sea. In summer 

2006 a harbour porpoise stranded alive in N Evvoia, at about latitude 38°58’ (Pelagos 

Cetacean Research Institute unpublished data). In October 2006 another specimen 

stranded in Urla (Turkish Aegean Sea) at 38°21’ of latitude (not represented on the 

distribution map; Güçlüsoy 2007). Finally, in spring 2008 a third specimen stranded in 

Kavouri Vouliagmenis in Saronikos Gulf at about a latitude of 37°49’ (Pelagos Cetacean 

Research Institute unpublished data). This is the southernmost position ever recorded for 

the subspecies Phocoena phocoena relicta, i.e. some 460 km further south of its previous 

known range in the northern Aegean and the Thracian Sea. There is no easy explanation of 

this appearance of harbour porpoises in southern and warmer seas, and it is unknown 

whether they indicate southern limits for the true range of this species. Recent observations 

in the area of the Çanakkale Straits (Güçlüsoy 2007, Tonay et al. 2009), both in its Aegean 

side and inside the straits, have shown that harbour porpoises found in the Aegean may 

have a continuous range with the harbour porpoises of the Marmara Sea. 

Habitat 

The harbour porpoises typically occupie the continental shelf waters close to the coast and 

seem to prefer lower water temperatures than the average temperatures of the Greek Seas 

(seldom found in waters warmer than 17°C; Read 1999). The single sighting in the Greek 

Seas clearly does not allow drawing conclusions about the habitat preferences of harbour 

porpoises in this area. However, the location of strandings indicates that the Thracian Sea 

encompasses the core area of its habitat. The Thracian Sea (as well as Thermaikos Gulf) 

has an extended plateau of shallow waters that present the lowest temperatures and 

salinities in the Greek Seas (Poulos et al. 1997). The only sighting of a group of 6-10 

harbour porpoises occurred at about 100 m from shore (Frantzis et al. 2001). In the Black 

Sea, harbour porpoises occupy coastal waters up to 200 m deep, although they can also 

occur in deep offshore waters (Birkun & Frantzis 2006). 

54

Abundance 

The population size of Aegean harbour porpoise is unknown, but likely small as indicated by 

the limited geographic range and rarity of records. 


The population trend of the Aegean Sea subpopulation or population is unknown. 


According to stranding and sighting data the harbour porpoises seem to be present yearround 

in the northern Aegean Sea. They have been recorded in all months of the year 

except April and September. Their small size for their age and genetic signature indicates 

that they originate from the Black Sea population (subspecies Phocoena phocoena relicta) 

rather than from the Atlantic, from which they have been reproductively isolated for 

thousands of years and have genetically and morphologically diverged (Rosel et al. 2003, 

Viaud-Martinnez et al. 2007). It has been suggested that movements of porpoises out of the 

the Marmara Sea and into the Mediterranean Sea may occur through the Dardanelles 

Straits (Rosel et al. 2003). Recent observations all along the Dardanelles Straits as well as 

at their exit into the Aegean Sea have shown a continuous range (Güçlüsoy 2007, Tonay et 

al. 2009). The population of P. p. relicta, to which the Aegean harbour porpoises belongs, 

may consist of three or more subpopulations, e.g. the Azov Sea, northwestern Black Sea, 

Marmara Sea and northern Aegean Sea (Birkun & Frantzis 2006). However, further work is 

needed to determine whether the animals found in the northern Aegean Sea represent a 

separate subpopulation, and which is their degree of geographical and/or genetic isolation 

from the Black and Marmara Seas (Frantzis et al., 2001; Rosel et al., 2003). Despite the 

recently confirmed continuous range, the genetic analysis of six samples from the Aegean 

Sea showed that one of their two haplotypes was shared with the Black Sea, while another 

was unique. Unexpectedly, all three samples from the Sea of Marmara (located between the 

Aegean Sea and Black Sea) possessed a single and unique haplotype. 


There is no available information regarding the reproductive season of the Aegean harbour 

porpoises. Reproduction is seasonal in all studied populations of this species (Read 1999). 

In the UK and the Baltic Sea births occur primarily in June and July. In the western Atlantic 

(Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine) they occur in May (Read 1999). 


The analysis of stomach contents of a few harbour porpoises sranded in Greece is still 

pending. Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus ponticus) is an important prey species for harbour 

porpoises of the Black Sea and Azov Sea populations during the cold season. At least 14 

fish species have been recorded in stomach contents, of which four are considered 

55

important: anchovy, sprat (Sprattus sprattus phalaericus), whiting (Merlangius merlangus 

euxinus) and gobies (Gobiidae) (Birkun & Frantzis 2006). 


There are no data other than from one specimen that was found with trammel nets around 

its pectoral fin (M. Koutrakis, pers. comm.). Bycatch is the most important threat globally and 

in the Black Sea, and it is one of the possible main threats for the Aegean population as 

well. Although no data exist, prey depletion resulting from overfishing may be another 

important threat. Finally, as Aegean harbour porpoises live at the southernmost limit of the 

range of the Black Sea population, and thus, at the highest temperatures they can afford 

(Poulos et al. 1997, Read 1999), climate change (already resulting in increasing sea surface 

temperatures in the Aegean Sea; V. Papathanasiou, pers. comm.) may be a serious threat 

for this population. Until 1983, unregulated hunting was the primary threat for the Black Sea 

population. At present, incidental mortality in fishing nets is the most serious threat there. 

Large-scale pelagic and small-scale coastal fisheries may also affect Black Sea harbour 

porpoises indirectly by reducing their prey populations and degrading their habitat (Birkun & 

Frantzis 2006). 


The Black Sea subpopulation (thought to also include Aegean Sea animals) is proposed as 

‘Endangered’ (Birkun & Frantzis 2006); listed as ‘Least Concern’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

56

RARE CETACEAN SPECIES IN THE GREEK SEAS AND AROUND THEM 

Drawings by Massimo Demma / ICRAM 

57

Megaptera novaeangliae (Borowski, 1781) 


Taxonomy 

Humpback whale 




Subfamily: Megapterinae (Μεγαπτερίνες) 

Genus: Megaptera 

Species: Megaptera novaeangliae 


Scientific name: Megaptera novaeangliae 

Common Μεγάπτερη φάλαινα 

name: 

Transcription: Megápteri fálaina 

Pronunciation: meγápteri fálena 

EN humpback whale AR (hout ahdab) 

FR mégaptère TR kambur balina 

ES yubarta AL ? 

IT megattera HR grbavi kit 

DE Buckelwal HE (livyatan gadol snapir) 

PT jubarte ML baliena tal-íwienah kbar 

General information 

The humpback whale is an occasional visitor in the Mediterranean Sea, entering the region 

from the Strait of Gibraltar (Frantzis et al. 2004). The total length of mature individuals 

worldwide is 13.0 m for males and 13.9 m for females (maximum 14.8 and 15.5 m, 

respectively; an exceptional maximum of 17.4 m has been recorded in the southern 

hemisphere; the size at birth is 4.0-4.6 m) (Clapham 2000). There are 13 published records 

of humpback whales in the Mediterranean Sea (Frantzis et al. 2004, Notarbartolo di Sciara 

2006a). An additional animal was record in February 2009 off Slovenia (T. Genov, pers. 

comm.). It is surprising that only six of the 14 records originate from the western 

Mediterranean, which is closer to the Atlantic Ocean, while the other eight come from the 

eastern basin. Eight records concerned sightings (couples in two cases), one was a 

stranding and five concerned entanglements in fishing gear of whales that in all but one 

case died. Two sightings (in the inner Ionian and Myrtoon Sea, respectively) and one 

stranding (following entanglement in fishing gear) occurred in the Greek Seas. Twelve of 14 

59

observations were made since 1990. All these whales were recorded thousands kilometers 

away from their usual feeding and breeding grounds, when they reached the Mediterranean 

Sea repeatedly during the last years. This seems to be a new, growing trend, rather than an 

old phenomenon that went unnoticed during the past (Frantzis et al. 2004). It is not known if 

the humpback whales that enter the Mediterranean are able to find their way back to the 

Atlantic Ocean, or if they stay in the Mediterranean Sea and die sooner or later. Frantzis et 

al. (2004) proposed as plausible explanations for the increased number of humpback whales 

in the Mediterranean the climate change and a spillover from an expanding North Atlantic 

population combined with the merely explorative nature of humpback whales. In all cases 

the high rate of entanglement in fishing gear poses a serious threat for all individuals of this 

species that enter the Mediterranean Sea. 


● : Sightings ■ : Strandings : 200 m contour : 1000 m contour 


Listed as ‘Least Concern’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

60

Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède, 1804 


Taxonomy 

Northern minke whale 




Subfamily: Balaenopterinae (Φαλαινοπτερίνες) 

Genus: Balaenoptera 

Species: Balaenoptera acutorostrata 


Scientific name: Balaenoptera acutorostrata 

Common name: Βόρεια ρυγχοφάλαινα 

Transcription: Vória rynchofálaina 

Pronunciation: vória riŋxofálena 

EN common minke whale AR (hout al mink) 

FR petit rorqual TR ticari balina 

ES rorcual aliblanco AL ? 

IT balenottera minore HR kljunasti kit 

DE Zwergfinnwal HE (livyatan gutz) 

PT baleia nana ML baliena ta’ geddumha ppuntat 


The common minke whale is an occasional visitor in the Mediterranean Sea entering the 

region from the Strait of Gibraltar (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006b). The average worldwide 

length of mature individuals is 8.5-8.8 m in females and 7.8-8.2 in males (Perrin & Brownell 

2009). The maximum length recorded is 9.2 m, and size at birth is 2.4-2.8 m (Notarbartolo di 

Sciara 1997). There are 26 records of common minke whales in the Mediterranean Sea. 

Three concern sightings and all the others are captured or entagled animals and a few 

strandings. Twenty of the records occurred in the western and only five in the eastern 

Mediterranean, with one more recorded in the Black Sea (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006b). 

There is only one record of a young (4.16 m) common minke whale found floating dead 

close to Skiathos Island in May 2000 (Verriopoulou et al. 2001). 

61





62


Taxonomy 

Pseudorca crassidens (Owen, 1846) 





Genus: Pseudorca 

Species: Pseudorca crassidens 


False killer whale 

Scientific name: Pseudorca crassidens 

Common Ψευδόρκα 

name: 

Transcription: Psevdórka 

Pronunciation: psevðórka 

EN false killer whale AR (arqa mouzaïfa) 

FR fausse-orque TR yalanci katil balina 

ES falsa orca AL ? 

IT pseudorca HR crni dupin 

DE Kleiner schwertwal HE (av-shen katlan) 

PT falsa orca ML psewdorka 


The false killer whale is probably an occasional visitor entering the Mediterranean Sea from 

the Strait of Gibraltar (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006c). However, the number of recently 

documented occurrences of this species (especially in the eastern Mediterranean) indicates 

that the presence of a resident small population in the Mediterranean cannot be totally ruled 

out. The false killer whale is one of the largest members of the family Delphinidae, with adult 

males reaching 6m and females 5 m (Baird 2009). The maximum length recorded for the 

two sexes is 6.10 m and 5.06 m, respectively. Newborns range between 1.6 m and 1.9 m 

(Odell & McClune 1999). There are 33 records of false killer whales in the Mediterranean 

Sea; 16 in the western and 17 in the eastern basin. Nine of them concern sightings, 15 are 

strandings and nine are captured or entagled animals. Twelve records concerned large pods 

or couples (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006c, Song of the Whale Research Team 2007). There 

are two records from the Greek Seas. In 1992 a pod of seven or more individuals was 

63

photographed between Chios Island and Tsesme in Turkey. One year later a single 

individual stranded in Argolikos Gulf (Frantzis et al. 2003). One live stranding in the Aegean 

Sea occurred in Urla Bay, along the Turkish coast, in 1995 (noted with a white square on the 

map; Öztürk & Öztürk 1998). It is interesting to note that the last five records outside of 

Greece originate from the easternmost part of the Mediterranean and occurred yearly since 

2003: four of them off Israel (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006c) and one off the east coast of 

Cyprus (Song of the Whale Research Team 2007). 




Listed as ‘Data Deficient’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

64


Taxonomy 

Mesoplodon sp. 

Beaked whale 



Suprafamily: Ziphioidea (Ζιφιοειδή) 

Family: Ziphiidae (Ζιφιίδες) 

Subfamily: Hyperoodontinae (Υπερωοδοντίνες) 

Genus: Mesoplodon 

Species: Mesoplodon sp. 


Scientific name: Mesoplodon sp. 

Common Μεσοπλόδοντας 

name: 

Transcription: Mesoplódontas 

Pronunciation: mesoplóðondas 

EN beaked whale AR (?) 

FR mésoplodon TR ? 

ES mesoplodon AL ? 

IT mesoplodonte HR ? 

DE Zweizahnwal HE (mesoplodon) 

PT baleia de bico ML ? 


The beaked whales of the genus Mesoplodon are among the least known mammals on 

Earth. They are elusive animals, difficult to study and to identify at the species level when 

encountered at sea (Mead 1989). There are 14 recognised Mesoplodon species in the world 

(Mead 2009). They are all smaller than the most common ziphiid, the Cuvier’s beaked 

whale. The maximum lengths of 13 species range between 4.43 m and 5.64 m and the 

larger 14 th species reaches 6.15 m (Mead 1989). The genus Mesoplodon is vagrant in the 

Mediterranean Sea (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006d). Two or three species have been 

recorded in five separate records. They concern the species M. densirostris, M. europaeus 

and possibly M. bidens. Four records come from the western Mediterranean (Notarbartolo di 

Sciara 2006d) and only one, more recent, from the north Levantine Sea (Notarbartolo di 

Sciara 2009). On 9 January 2009 a live, adult female specimen of the genus Mesoplodon 

65

stranded in Fethiye, Turkey (see white square on the map) and left the coast after being 

rescued. The animal was about 5 m long and despite the good photos that are available, the 

species cannot be identified with certainty, although M. europaeus seems the most probable 

candidate (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2009). A dubious record of M. densirostris is available for 

the Ionian Sea. A group of four ziphiids was observed between the Messina Strait and 

Kefallonia Island (orange question mark on the map; J. Forcada in litteris). According to the 

available photos this could have been a mixed-species group of M. densirostris and Ziphius 

cavirostris, but the quality of the photos does not allow a definitive identification. 


? 

□ : Stranding ? : Possible sighting : 200 m contour : 1000 m contour 


All species of Mesoplodon are listed as ‘Data Deficient’ globally (IUCN 2008). 

66

Steno bredanensis (G. Cuvier in Lesson, 1828) 


Taxonomy 





Genus: Steno 

Species: Steno bredanensis 


Rough-toothed dolphin 

Scientific name: Steno bredanensis 

Common name: Στενόρυγχο δελφίνι 

Transcription: Stenóryncho delfíni 

Pronunciation: stenóriŋxo ðelfíni 

EN rough-toothed dolphin AR (dolphin khechin el asnan) 

FR sténo TR kaba dişli yunus 

ES delfín de dientes rugosos AL ? 

IT steno HR grubozubi dupin 

DE Rauzahndelfin HE (dolphin tlum-shinaim) 

PT caldeirão ML denfil tat-tikki 


The rough-toothed dolphin is considered an occasional visitor entering the Mediterranean 

Sea from the Strait of Gibraltar (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006e). However, the number of 

recently documented occurrences of schools of this species in the eastern Mediterranean 

and particularly off Israel indicates that the existence of a small resident population in the 

eastern Mediterranean seems to be increasingly likely. Their maximum length worldwide is 

2.65 m and 2.55 m for males and females, respectively (Jefferson 2009). There are 18 

records of rough-toothed dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea (Notarbartolo di Sciara 2006e, 

Song of the Whale Research Team 2007, Gonzalvo 2009). It is worth noting that only four of 

these records originate from the western portion of the Mediterranean, closer to the Atlantic 

Ocean. The larger number (N=14) of records in the eastern Mediterranean and their 

persistence in time (from 1949 to 2009) supports the hypothesis that a small population 

occurs there. Five records concern sightings of groups ranging from 8 to160 individuals), six 

are strandings, five concern animals bycaught in fishing gear and three concern osteological 

67

material obtained under unknown circumstances. There is only one record in proximity to the 

Greek Seas and it concerns a group of eight animals observed in 2003 off W Kefallonia 

Island (Lacey et al. 2005). Two more sightings in areas neighbouring to the Greek Seas 

were made off N Cyprus and off the Libyan coasts in 2007 (Song of the Whale Research 

Team 2007). 


○ : Sighting : 200 m contour : 1000 m contour 



68

FALSE REPORTS OF CETACEAN SPECIES IN THE GREEK SEAS 

Apart from the species presented in this report as recorded in the Greek Seas, some more 

cetacean species have appeared in scientific publications, conference proceedings, popular 

articles, official state booklets or other documents. After checking thoroughly the original 

data of each of those cases, six more species were found to have been incorrectly included 

in the Greek cetacean fauna in the past. These are: the Sowerby's beaked whale 

Mesoplodon bidens, the Blainville's beaked whale Mesoplodon densirostris, the long-finned 

pilot whale Globicephala melas, the white whale or beluga Delphinapterus leucas, the killer 

whale Orcinus orca and the blue whale Balaenoptera musculus. Below we provide details 

for each of those cases. 

The floating carcass of a beaked whale was originally reported as a Sowerby's beaked 

whale (Mesoplodon bidens; Poulopoulos 1989). In a later paper the same case was 

presented as Blainville's beaked whale (Mesoplodon densirostris; pers. comm. by G. 

Poulopoulos in Cebrian and Papaconstantinou 1992) and later it was identified again as 

Sowerby's beaked whale (Mesoplodon bidens; Frantzis et al. 2003) according to the early 

published descriptions from in situ observations and the available low quality photos in the 

original paper (Poulopoulos 1989). The recent discovery of the original photos showed that 

the descriptions did not correspond to reality, since this animal was clearly a Cuvier’s 

beaked whale. Original photos from another stranded cetacean showed that this was a false 

killer whale despite the stranding form filled by local authorities that reported a stranded 

long-finned pilot whale (Androukaki and Tounta, 1994). Due to a wrong assumption the 

white whale (Delphinapterus leucas) was referred to as accidental species in the Greek 

Seas (Cebrian and Papaconstantinou, 1992). The authors thought that a specimen found 

wandering along the coasts of the Black Sea had previously crossed the Aegean Sea; 

however, later it became known that the whale had escaped from an Ukrainian delphinarium 

in the Black Sea. The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) incorrectly appeared in editions, 

leaflets and posters of some public services, based on a single fisherman’s report referring 

to a ‘30 m long whale’. McBrearty et al. (1986) mentioned a sighting of a lone killer whale 

(Orcinus orca) in the Aegean Sea and a sighting of long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala 

melas) in southern Greece. One more killer whale sighting from the Aegean Sea exists in 

the literature as personal communication from McBrearty (Hammond and Lockyer, 1988). 

We looked for McBrearty’s original data, but we learned that he let colleagues know that he 

destroyed them some decades ago after he wrote his paper (P. Evans, pers. comm.). 

Anyway, these data originated from individual observers who were not specialists (i.e. 

fishermen, yachtsmen, captains, etc.), and species identifications were often retained even 

69

without supporting photographic documents (McBrearty et al., 1986; P. Evans, pers. 

comm.). Long-finned pilot whale and killer whale sightings have been reported several times 

from amateurs, but whenever photos or videos were available they turned out to be 

misidentifications (mainly of Risso’s dolphins). No records of pilot and killer whales were 

accompanied by supporting evidence, although the accidental occurrence of these two 

species in the Greek Seas cannot be ruled out. 

70

WHAT IS KNOWN, WHAT REMAINS UNKNOWN 

There is solid data regarding the species composition of the Greek cetacean fauna. Eight 

species are present in the Greek Seas; almost all year round, with two of them (harbour 

porpoise, fin whale) requiring some further data to consolidate the possible seasonality of 

their occurrence. Three more species are occasional visitors and have rarely been recorded 

in the Greek Seas. Finally, rough-toothed dolphins inhabit occasionally or permanently the 

offshore waters of the eastern Mediterranean and have been recorded in relative proximity 

to the Greek Seas. Current knowledge indicates that the local populations units of four 

species - sperm whales, Cuvier’s beaked whales, short-beaked common dolphins, harbour 

porpoises - in the Greek Seas are among the most important in the entire Mediterranean 

Sea. The last of these species does not inhabit any other part of the Mediterranean Sea 

than the Thracian and northern Aegean Seas. 

The general geographic range of most cetacean species can be inferred with a satisfactory 

degree of precision from the distribution maps presented in this report, in a way that general 

conclusions or general comparisons with future data are possible. However, gaps of 

knowledge still exist at the level of local seas, with the exception of the Greek Ionian Sea, 

the west and south Hellenic Trench and the Gulf of Corinth. Surveys in several areas of the 

Aegean Sea are needed to understand the extent of occurrence of several species with 

higher precision. Since sighting data are coming mainly from the warm season, winter 

surveys are also necessary to detect seasonal changes in occurrence of some species. 

Data regarding ecology and feeding habits, genetics and stock discreteness, life history, 

toxicology, histopathology, causes of death, biometry etc. are scarce and fragmentary. In 

addition, limited information is available on anthropogenic threats and their relative 

importance per species. Such data and information are crucial for species conservation and 

for the management of human activities that have an impact on their populations. Although 

their collection is relatively easy and of low cost in comparison to open sea surveys and 

other methods, the lack of a properly organized national stranding network leaves a large 

number of cetacean carcasses uninspected, resulting in loss of valuable information. 

The most important knowledge gap concerns the absolute abundance of each cetacean 

population. With the exception of one very small common dolphin population unit in the inner 

Ionian Sea, one isolated bottlenose dolphin population unit in Amvrakikos Gulf, and the 

sperm whales along the Hellenic Trench, we have not even rough estimations of absolute 

71

abundances for any species in the entire Greek Seas. Research aimed to produce 

abundance estimates and trends is of high priority. 

Cetacean conservation demands the careful design and application of management 

measures for each species that will guarantee the survival of a population large and healthy 

enough to prosper. At present, however, there is no possibility of testing the effectiveness of 

any management measure, except for a very few areas, due to the unknown abundance 

and status of most populations. Although there has been progress in our knowledge on 

cetaceans inhabiting the Greek Seas during the last 15 years, we are still far from 

understanding the complexity of their ecology, and in most cases we remain unable to 

monitor their status. Given the gaps in the current knowledge regarding cetacean 

populations in Greece, there is still a lot of scientific work needed so that conservation 

efforts can start to be effective at the national level. 

72

ARE THE GREEK CETACEAN POPULATIONS DECLINING? 

The data of this report and previous studies have shown that eight cetacean species inhabit 

the Greek Seas. Crucial data on the abundance and the population status and trend of 

these species at the national level are not available. However, information from portions of 

the Greek Seas and the rest of the Mediterranean Sea suggest that most cetacean species 

populations are likely to be declining, some even at alarming rates. 

Perhaps the most revealing example is that of the short-beaked common dolphin. Once one 

of the commonest species in the Mediterranean Sea, common dolphins have experienced a 

generalised and major decrease in this region during the last 30-40 years (Bearzi et al. 

2003). At least in the inner Ionian Sea, overfishing of this species’ prey has caused its 

dramatic rarefaction (Bearzi et al. 2008b). Overfishing is known to occur in many other parts 

of the Greek Seas, with a continuous decline of fish biomass since the mid 90s (Stergiou 

2005, Stergiou et al. 2007, Machias et al. 2007). As a result, depletion of key cetacean prey 

can be expected. While the rate of population decrease may vary from one area to another, 

the alarmingly rapid decline of common dolphins in the inner Ionian Sea (Bearzi et al. 

2008b) suggests that important cetacean populations can rapidly disappear from the Greek 

Seas. 

Prey depletion is one of the threats that may drive the apparently small population unit of the 

Aegean harbour porpoises to decline and potentially to extinction. In the north Aegean this 

species lives at the limit of the highest temperatures it can afford (Poulos et al. 1997, Read 

1999); therefore, increasing sea surface temperatures in the Aegean Sea (V. 

Papathanasiou, pers. comm.) may threaten its survival. 

The population of sperm whales in the Greek Seas is also very small (Pelagos Cetacean 

Research Institute, unpublished data). Populations of a few hundreds of individuals may 

disappear even by natural changes in their environment. In the case of sperm whales in 

Greece, mortality caused by ship strikes alone seems unsustainable, and further threatens 

this small population (Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, unpublished data). Ingetsion of 

plastic debris is yet another anthropogenic cause of mortality. 

The population trend for common bottlenose dolphins and striped dolphins in the Greek 

Seas are unlikely to differ significantly from trends in the whole Mediterranean region. Such 

trends are thought to be negative for bottlenose dolphins (Bearzi et al. 2008c), and was very 

negative in the last two decades, but currently uncertain for striped dolphins (Aguilar 2006). 

73

A drastic decrease in sightings and strandings of Cuvier’s beaked whales along the Hellenic 

Trench (with no reduction in search effort) during the last decade raises concern over a 

possible population decline. Two mass stranding events removed a relatively high number of 

individuals (at least 23) from local populations, but the total number of animals that died 

without reaching the coasts may have been much higher. The impact of the use of military 

sonar along the Hellenic Trench seems important at the population level (Frantzis 1998, 

2004), and may have dramatic consequences. 

The Mediterranean population of five out of eight cetacean species that inhabit the Greek 

Seas are considered as “Endangered” (sperm whale, common dolphin, harbour porpoise), 

or “Vulnerable” (common bottlenose dolphin, striped dolphin; Reeves & Notarbartolo di 

Sciara 2006). As the local population units of four species in the Greek Seas (sperm whale, 

Cuvier’s beaked whale, short-beaked common dolphin and harbour porpoise) are likely 

among the most important (in terms of sighting frequencies, habitat, reproduction, 

uniqueness etc.) in the entire Mediterranean Sea, ensuring their long-term survival is 

mandatory. 

Although no population trends are available for any cetacean species in the Greek Seas, 

local studies, knowledge from other Mediterranean areas, evidence of increasing threats, as 

well as the apparently small size or uniqueness of several cetacean populations in the 

Greek Seas, all call for urgent conservation measures. 

74

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

Many thanks to several research centres, organisations and persons that have offered 

stranding and sighting data, namely the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (Greece) and 

particularly Dr. Papakonstantinou, Dr. Panayotidis, Dr. Mariolina Corsini-Foka and Dr. 

Marianna Giannoulaki, Fisheries Research Institute (Kavala) and particularly Dr. Manos 

Koutrakis, Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, MOm (Hellenic Society for the Study and 

Protection of the Monk Seal), Tethys Research Institute, WWF Greece, Greenpeace 

Greece, GREC (Group de Recherche sur les Cétacés, France), IFAW (International Fund 

for Animal Welfare), Ocean Alliance (Mediterranean Voyage of the Odyssey), Michael 

White, Manolis Bardanis (Naxos Diving Centre), Sotiris Diamantis (Mystic Blue), Giannis 

Gavalas, Aristidis Valoukas, Stelios Gialinakis and a long list of friends, colleagues and 

supporters of the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute, who contributed documented 

strandings or opportunistic sightings. Gratitude is expressed to the Greek Port Police 

authorities that have collaborated in the stranding network and to the Port Police Directorate 

of the Ministry of Mercantile Marine, Aegean and Island Policy that offered access to their 

archives. Many thanks to Voula Alexiadou for maintaining and updating the sighting and 

stranding database of the Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute and to Popi Gikopoulou, 

who estimated depths and distances from the coast. Special thanks to an anonymous donor 

and the Blue Planet Shipping Ltd for providing the R/V Nereis for the surveys of the Pelagos 

Cetacean Research Institute. Many thanks to Voula Alexiadou, Giorgos Paximadis, Popi 

Gikopoulou, Natalia Tsoukalas, Pantelis Kiofentzis, Makis Pagidas, Olga Nikolaou, Gilda 

Hassidis, Evi Tsougiopoulou and all the ecovolunteers who supported the fieldwork of the 

Pelagos Cetacean Research Institute during dedicated surveys or necropsies of stranded 

animals. Dr. Giovanni Bearzi, Dr. Giuseppe Notarbartolo di Sciara and MOm helped improve 

this report with many constructive comments. 

75

LITERATURE CITED 

Aguilar A. 1991. Calving and early mortality in the western Mediterranean striped dolphin, 

Stenella coeruleoalba. Can. J. Zool. 69: 1408-1412. 

Aguilar A. 2000. Population biology, conservation threats, and status of Mediterranean 

striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba). J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 2(1): 17-26. 

Aguilar A. 2006. Striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba (Mediterranean subpopulation). Pp. 

57-63 in Reeves R., Notarbartolo di Sciara G. (compilers and editors). The status and 

distribution of cetaceans in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea. IUCN Centre for 

Mediterranean Cooperation, Malaga, Spain, pp. 137. 

Aguilar A., Borrell A. 1994. Abnormally high polychlorinated biphenyl levels in striped 

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82

ANNEX I: Distribution of searching effort in the Greek Seas 

The following map provides an approximate figure of the effort that has been dedicated by 

various research teams in searching cetaceans in the Greek Seas. The information was 

gathered from published studies or unpublished results that have been contributed to the 

dataset of this report. The vast majority (more than 95%) of the results of the total effort in 

terms of sightings appears on the sighting and stranding distribution maps of Annex II. 

Sightings recorded out of the areas to which effort has been dedicated, originate from 

opportunistic observations. 

Figure 2. Distribution of searching effort of dedicated cetacean surveys conducted by various research teams in 

the Greek Seas. Black color represents regular and intensive effort in the framework of long-term research 

programs. Dark grey color represents areas that have been surveyed at least three times, irregularly in time. Light 

grey color represents areas that have been surveyed sporadically and less than three times. Light blue areas 

have not been surveyed at all. All sighting information regarding these areas (see Annex II) comes from 

opportunistic observations. 

83

ANNEX II: Distribution maps of sightings and strandings 

Important Note: Caution is due to the interpretation of the number of sightings recorded per 

species as it appears in the following maps. They represent only the distribution of the 

presence of each species in the Greek Seas. Data include both opportunistic sightings and 

results of dedicated surveys that used different methods. Even more importantly, some 

areas have been surveyed intensively or more systematically than others (Figure 2 in Annex 

I) and some areas have not been surveyed at all. As a result the number of sightings 

recorded per species cannot be used to infer abundance or relative sighting frequencies 

of different species. 

Figure 3. Distribution of all identified cetacean stranding (■) and sighting (●) records in the Greek Seas. The high 

density of sightings in some areas is due to higher effort there, particularly in the Hellenic Trench, Gulf of Corinth, 

parts of the Cretan Sea and Karpathos Island, and to a lesser degree Myrtoon Sea and Northern Sporades- 

Chalkidiki). Please refer to Annex I in order to avoid a misinterpretation of this figure. 

84

Balaenoptera physalus 

FIN WHALE 

(Πτεροφάλαινα) 

● : Sightings ■ : Strandings : 200 m contour : 1000 m 

85

Physeter macrocephalus 

SPERM WHALE 

(Φυσητήρας) 


86

Ziphius cavirostris 

CUVIER’S BEAKED WHALE 

(Ζιφιός) 


87

Grampus griseus 

RISSO’S DOLPHIN 

(Σταχτοδέλφινο) 


88

Tursiops truncatus 

COMMON BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN 

(Ρινοδέλφινο) 


89

Stenella coeruleoalba 

STRIPED DOLPHIN 

(Ζωνοδέλφινο) 


90

Delphinus delphis 

SHORT-BEAKED COMMON DOLPHIN 

(Κοινό δελφίνι) 


91

Phocoena phocoena 

HARBOUR PORPOISE 

(Φώκαινα) 


92

ANNEX III: Additional references on the cetaceans of the Greek Seas 

Note: The following list of references is not complete. Other references on the Greek cetaceans may 

have been left unintentionally out of this list. 

Angelici F.M., Marini L. 1992. Sighting of Delphinus delphis (Cetacea, odontoceti) in the 

Otranto channel (southern Adriatic sea and northern Ionian sea). Hystrix 4(1): 91-93. 

Giacoma C., Papale E., Azzolin M. 2009. Exceptional inshore presence of fin whale over the 

northern Ionian continental platform. 23rd Conference of the European Cetacean Society, 

Istanbul, Turkey, March 2009. Abstract Book, pp. 102-103. 

Casale M., Milani C., Kallianiotis A. 1999. Preliminary survey on the interactions between 

local populations of Delphinus delphis and Tursiops truncatus and coastal fishery in northeastern 

Aegean Sea (Greece). European Research on Cetaceans 13: 100. 

Drougas A., Komnenou A., Fatsea H., Poulopoulos Y., Liori R. 2001. Cetacean diversity in 

Greece: 1945-2001 sightings and strandings databank. 14 th Biennial Conference on the 

Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, Canada. 

Kinzelbach, R 1985. Der Cuvier-Schnabelwal (Ziphius cavirostris) im östlichen Mittelmeer. 

Sonderdruck aus Z. f. Säugetierkunde Bd. 50, H. 5: 314-316. 

Marini L., Carpentieri P., Consiglio C. 1995. Presence and distribution of the cetological 

fauna of the Aegean Sea: preliminary results. European Research on Cetaceans 9: 99-101. 

Mitra S., Koutrakis E., Clark T., Milani C. 2004. Cetacean interaction with small scale coastal 

fisheries: implications for conservation and damage limitation. in the Northern Aegean, 

Greece. European Research on Cetacean 15: 172-176. 

Mardikis I., Podiadis V., Verriopoulos G. 1999. High sighting frequency of the pelagic 

species, striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba, in a closed sea area. European Research on 

Cetaceans 13: 244-247. 

Mardikis I., Podiadis V., Verriopoulos G. 2000. High sighting frequency of the pelagic striped 

dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba in a closed sea area. European Research on Cetaceans 14: 

375-379. 

Pirounakis K., Kaloupi S., Moschonas S, Mourelatos Y., Tselentis L., Voutsinas N., 

Voutsinas V., Panou A. 1999. Cetaceans in the Eastern Ionian Sea: Results of an 

observers’ network. Contributions to the Zoogeography and Ecology of the Eastern 

Mediterranean Region Vol. 1, pp. 429-434. 

Podiadis V. et al. 2003. The striped dolphins of the Gulf of Korinth, 1996-2002 a 

comparative study. 17th Conference of the European Cetacean Society, Las Palmas de 

Gran Canaria, March 2003. Abstract Book, p. 263 

Poullopoulos Y., Drougas A., Komnenou N. 1999. First documented sighting of a wounded 

harbour porpoise in Mediterranean Sea. A unique case of successful rehabilitation. 

European Research on Cetaceans 13: 442. 

93

Pulcini M., Mecozzi M., Virno Lamberti C., Bergamasco C. 1996. Application of multivariate 

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Cetaceans in Greece: Present status of knowledge

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