Cetaceans in Greece: Present status of knowledge

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.
Reported sightings and strandings
● : Sightings ■ : Strandings : 200 m contour : 1000 m contour
IUCN Red List classification
Listed as ‘Least Concern’ globally (IUCN 2008).
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