Last month, Atlante was re-sighted in the waters of the Important Marina Mammal Area of Ischia and Ventotene. As always, he was in the company of other sperm whales.
This is the fifth sighting of this young animal in our study area; Atlante was first sighted in October 2021 in the northern area of the Pelagos Sanctuary by Menkab researchers.
Based on body length estimates, assessed by acoustic analysis and aerial images, and the presence of other individuals in each sighting, Atlante was classified as a juvenile less than 10 years old and measuring about 8 meters.
Fortunately, Atlante continues to be in good health; despite his injury, he can feed regularly and make long movements within the Mediterranean.
The marks on its fluke confirm that ship strikes are a real danger to this species in the Mediterranean Sea. Atlante data and images were shared with the scientific community during the 34th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society in Galicia, Spain.