The Onda Vita 2025 – The Journey of the Whales scientific expedition has set sail from Santa Teresa Gallura. Over the course of one week, the mission will travel through the waters between Sardinia, Corsica, the Tuscan Archipelago and the Pelagos Sanctuary, collecting essential data on the marine biodiversity of the Mediterranean.
The project, conceived by the cooperative La Beddula in collaboration with the Capo Testa – Punta Falcone Marine Protected Area, is supported by the Fondazione di Sardegna and involves the scientific contribution of the University of Milano-Bicocca, the MEDSEA Foundation, LIPU, and a multidisciplinary team of experts.
On board are also MEDSEA researchers Michela Congiu and Laura Pintore.
The scientific programme includes daily observation and monitoring activities such as:
- Photo-identification of cetaceans, to recognise individual animals and track their movements over time
- Seabird surveys, to document the presence and abundance of key marine bird species
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, a technique that can detect rare species such as the Mediterranean monk seal through genetic traces left in the water
All biological and environmental data collected will be georeferenced and shared among the scientific partners, with the aim of mapping biodiversity hotspots and assessing the impact of human activities on the ecosystems of the Pelagos Sanctuary and neighbouring areas.
After the first night at sea in the Marine Protected Area of Capo Testa – Punta Falcone, with the first sightings already recorded and initial eDNA sampling completed, the crew set course for Corsica, navigating along the island’s south-western coast northbound before sheltering on the western side due to unfavourable weather conditions and heading back towards Sardinia.
Despite adverse marine and weather conditions, the team managed to conduct several acoustic surveys and sightings of both cetaceans and seabirds. Notably, hydrophone recordings confirmed the presence of striped dolphins (Stenella).
Onda Vita 2025 will continue its navigation until 25 October, turning every mile travelled into a concrete contribution to knowledge and the protection of the Mediterranean.
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