DER TOURISTIK Foundation On the right track 2022

Animal welfare
Visitor Centre in Leipsoi
New life after captivity
More than 3,000 marine mammals
all around the world live in captivity.
Marine biologists and environmentalists
believe that the situation is critical.
This is because most of the animals
cannot be returned to the wild and
there is a lack of organisations able
to provide them with alternatives to
captivity and give them the medical
care that they need.
Cutting-edge veterinary clinic
The building and repair works were
completed in 2019. The plan is now to
open the visitor centre, complete the
protected area (for 7 seals, 30 turtles
and up to 10 dolphins), fit the veterinary
clinic with the necessary medical
equipment and introduce training visits
to the five surrounding islands.
Local awareness raising
The aim of the project, which has been
funded by the DER Touristik Foundation
since 2019, is not only to protect and preserve
marine mammals but also to raise
awareness of the importance of animal
welfare amongst the local population.
The project also involves establishing
a first aid network on the surrounding
islands and setting up an education
programme for locals and tourists.
Protected area along the coast
Things are about to change in Leipsoi
at least though as dolphins, seals
and turtles that have either been
injured or were formerly kept in
captivity will soon be able to spend
their “retirement” in the natural
surroundings of a defined protected
area along the coast of this small
Greek island in the northern part
of the Dodecanese.
Our cooperation partner: Archipelagos Institute
of Marine Conservation
Archipelagos is a Greek non-profit NGO which, since its creation in 1998,
has been focusing on the combination of multidisciplinary scientific
research and efficient conservation work in which local communities
play an active part. The aim is to preserve the biodiversity of the northeastern
Mediterranean, focusing specifically on
Greek waters and islands.
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