Season Greetings

We wish you happy holidays and a successful, vibrant and happy new year 2014! 

Click on the image to enlarge.

Voščilo

Želimo vam lepe praznike in uspešno, iskrivo in srečno novo leto 2014!

Za povečavo kliknite na sliko.

What to do when you encounter dolphins at sea?

Among other animals, we share waters of the Adriatic Sea with dolphins. Therefore it is important to know, how to behave responsibly at sea. To make dolphin encounter at sea unforgettable and nice for you and the dolphins, we prepared a brochure What to do when you encounter dolphins at sea? Educational campaign to reduce negative impacts of maritime traffic on dolphins was supported by Dormeo with the campaign "Hug of warmth". The brochure was publicly presented at the recent 2nd Dolphin night and printed in Slovenian, English and Italian language. Electronic version of the brochure is available here. 

As always, we will be very grateful if you call us immediately when you spot dolphins in the northern Adriatic Sea and thus help us gather important information and contribute to our research.

Kaj storiti, če na morju opazimo delfine?

Vode Jadranskega morja si delimo tudi z delfini. Zato je pomembno da vemo, kako se odgovorno obnašati na morju. Z namenom, da bo vaša izkušnja srečanja z delfini na morju nepozabna in prijetna za vas in za delfine, smo pripravili zloženko Kaj storiti, če na morju opazimo delfine? Izobraževalni projekt zmanjševanja negativnega vpliva pomorskega prometa na delfine je podprl Dormeo v okviru akcije Objem topline. Zloženko smo natisnili v slovenskem, angleškem in italijanskem jeziku ter jo javno predstavili na naši nedavni 2. Noči delfinov. Zloženka je v elektronski različici dostopna na tej povezavi. 

Kot doslej, bomo zelo veseli, da nas takoj ko delfine opazite tudi pokličete ter nam tako pomagate pri zbiranju pomembnih podatkov in raziskovanju delfinov v severnem Jadranu.

Namenite del dohodnine za slovenske delfine

December je mesec obdarovanj in veselja, ki ga lahko na enostaven in brezplačen način polepšate tudi slovenskim delfinom. Vsak davčni zavezanec lahko 0,5 % dohodnine podari organizaciji, ki deluje v javnem interesu. Namesto da celotno dohodnino oddate državi, lahko del te namenite za dobra dejanja.

Društvo Morigenos bo vaš prispevek 0,5 % dohodnine namenilo znanstvenemu raziskovanju delfinov, analiziranju podatkov, podajanju smernic za ohranitev populacije delfinov v severnem Jadranu, izobraževalnim aktivnostim, spodbujanju varstva okolja in usposabljanju mladih ter razvijanju strokovnega kadra na področju morskih sesalcev.

Postopek namenitve dohodnine je hiter, enostaven in povsem brezplačen, z njim pa boste pripomogli k varstvu delfinov v slovenskem morju. Opis postopka in naši podatki so dostopni tukaj. 

Povejte tudi svojim znancem in prijateljem, kako so lahko dobrodelni.

Najlepša hvala za vaš prispevek.

Uspešna 2. Noč delfinov

Hvala vsem za podporo in udeležbo na včerajšnji 2. Noči delfinov. Lepo se je bilo srečati in poveseliti z vami. Upamo, da so vam nove zloženke in razglednice všeč ter da ste našli presenečenje na vašem USB ključku. Veseli nas, da smo lahko zanimivosti o slovenskih delfinih in dogajanje v društvu letošnjega leta delili z vami. Iskrena hvala za prijetno vzdušje na dogodku tudi našima gostoma, simpatičnemu radijskemu voditelju Klemnu Bunderli in naši ambasadorki delfinov, The Look of the Nations in Miss Universe Sari Savnik.

Morigenos goes to New Zealand

Part of the Morigenos team is attending the Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, organized by the Society for Marine Mammology. The conference will be held in Dunedin, New Zealand from 9th to 13th of December 2013. Scientists from all over the world will be presenting the newest results of their research. Among the contributions accepted by the conference Scientific Committee, four are authored and co-authored by Morigenos researchers. Even Slovenia (with its short coastline) is therefore part of the world marine mammalogy scene!

Morigenos gre na Novo Zelandijo

Del ekipe društva Morigenos se naslednji teden udeležuje svetovne konference o biologiji morskih sesalcev, ki jo organizira Society for Marine Mammalogy ali Združenje za znanost o morskih sesalcih. Konferenca bo potekala od 9. do 13. decembra 2013 v Dunedinu, Nova Zelandija. Znanstveniki iz vseh delov sveta bodo predstavljali najnovejše rezultate svojih raziskav. Med prispevki, ki jih je sprejel Znanstveni odbor konference, so kar štirje prispevki društva Morigenos, ki v njih sodelujejo kot prvi avtorji ali so-avtorji. Tudi Slovenija (s svojo kratko obalo) se torej uvršča na svetovno sceno raziskovanja morskih sesalcev!

2. Noč Delfinov

December, mraz in veselo pričakovanje so zopet tu. Ponovno vas vabimo, da se nam pridružite na 2. Noči delfinov. Skupaj z nami se lahko poveselite v ponedeljek, 9.12.2013 od 19. ure dalje v Svetovni kavarni Sputnik, na Tržaški cesti 128 v Ljubljani.

Veseli bomo vaše družbe!

Društvo Morigenos v oddaji Navigator karavaning

V novembru nas je obiskala TV ekipa oddaje Navigator karavaning. Preživeli smo lep dan, čeprav delfinov nismo našli. Oddajo si lahko ogledate danes, 27.11.2013, ob 22:00 uri na TV3 Medias.

Vabljeni k ogledu!

Third online issue of magazine Trdoživ

New online version of magazine Trdoživ is available. In the third issue you can find out interesting facts about marshes in Slovenia, how to recognize newts with the identification key, what are the influences of climatic change on whales and dolphins and learn about life of the brown bear under human influence. Explorers at heart can also learn how to help mapping some animal species in Slovenia.

Click on the picture on this link to view the magazine.
(The magazine is in Slovene)

Tretja spletna številka Trdoživa

Na voljo je nova spletna različica Trdoživa bilten. Spoznajte zanimivosti barij v Sloveniji, kako prepoznati pupke po določevalnem ključu, kakšni so vplivi podnebnih sprememb na kite in delfine in kakšno je življenje rjavega medveda pod vplivom ljudi. Raziskovalci po duši pa se lahko kot prostovoljci podate tudi na popisovanje živalskih vrst po Sloveniji. 

Želimo vam prijetno branje!

(za ogled biltena na tej povezavi kliknite na sliko)

Dolphins in rough seas

We rarely survey for dolphins in rough seas, due to lower probability of finding them, higher chances of missing them (even if they are there) and consequently lower accuracy of data. We occasionally have difficulty explaining this to participants of our research camps, who sometimes cannot understand why we are not going out in sunny (but windy) weather. Still, we do sometimes encounter dolphins in rough seas too, often just by chance. Here is one of such case. Dolphins do not seem to mind waves at all, in fact they seem to enjoy them. Keeping track of dolphins and photographing them is rather challenging in such conditions. But it's still lots of fun!

Photo: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Delfini v razburkanem morju

Delfine redko iščemo v razburkanem morju, zaradi manjše verjetnosti, da jih najdemo, večjih možnosti, da jih zgrešimo (četudi so naokoli) in posledično manjše zanesljivosti podatkov. Občasno to dejstvo težko razložimo udeležencem naših raziskovalnih taborov, ki včasih ne razumejo, zakaj v sončnem (a vetrovnem) vremenu ne gremo na morje. Vseeno pa delfine občasno najdemo tudi v razburkanem morju, navadno zgolj po naključju. Tukaj je eden izmed takšnih primerov. Videti je, da valovi delfinov ne motijo prav preveč. Pravzaprav je videti, da se na njih prav zabavajo. V takšnih pogojih je sledenje in fotografiranje delfinov pravi izziv. A je vseeno zabavno!

Foto: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Očistimo morje za delfine - zahvala

Prejšnjo soboto smo zavihali rokave in čistili obalo, predstavili zanimivo življenje delfinov v slovenskem morju in ustvarjali ter izobraževali otroke v Mestnem kopališču Koper. Naša obala in morje sta zopet čistejša. Iskrena hvala vsem prostovoljcem, naši ambasadorki delfinov, Sari Savnik in Mestni občini Koper za finančno podporo.

Nekaj utrinkov si lahko ogledate na tej povezavi.

Foto: Polona Kotnjek

Deinon airborne

Deinon never jumps out of the water. Or that's at least what we always say to people. However, this summer, Deinon surprised us all. This very calm and 'serious' dolphin was observed performing some spectacular aerial behaviour. Deinon is one of the most frequently encountered dolphins in Slovenian waters and we have been seeing her every single year for the past 10 years. She is also one of those dolphins you can symbolically adopt.

Photos: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Deinon v zraku

Deinon nikoli ne skoči povsem iz vode. Tako vsaj vedno govorimo. Toda letošnje poletje nas je Deinon presenetila. Tega mirnega in »resnega« delfina smo namreč imeli možnost opazovati med spektakularnimi skoki. Deinon je med najpogosteje opaženimi delfini ob slovenski obali, saj jo že deset let srečujemo prav vsako leto. Deinon je tudi eden izmed tistih delfinov, ki jih lahko simbolično posvojite.

Foto: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Očistimo morje za delfine

Društvo Morigenos bo v Mestnem kopališču Koper letošnji Mednarodni dan obale obeležilo s prireditvijo dogodka Očistimo morje za delfine. Postavili bomo informativno razstavo o delfinih v slovenskem morju, organizirali izobraževalne otroške delavnice, kjer bomo ustvarjali iz recikliranega materiala, prisluhnili predavanju o slovenskem projektu za delfine, na Info točki pa boste lahko izvedeli sveže novice o delfinih v slovenskem morju. V sodelovanju z društvom Eco Vitae pa bomo sodelovali v čistilni akciji Čista obala 2013. V sklopu največje svetovne prostovoljne čistilne akcije obal, morij in jezer bomo očistili različne odseke slovenske obale. Obalo in morje bomo čistili med 10:00 in 14:00 uro, prijave se zbirajo na info@ecovitae.org. Pomagajte nam tudi vi!

Z veseljem pa sporočamo še, da se nam bo na dogodku Očistimo morje za delfine pridružila prav posebna gostja, zmagovalka lepotnega tekmovanja The Look of the Nations in ambasadorka slovenskih delfinov, SARA SAVNIK. Sara bo v nadaljnjem letu kot velika podpornica društva Morigenos pomagala pri ozaveščanju o pomembnosti ohranjanja delfinov na različnih naših dogodkih ter lepotnih tekmovanjih doma in v tujini. 

Pridružite se nam v soboto, 21.9.2013 med 10:00 in 17:00 uro v Mestnem kopališču Koper.

Vljudno vabljeni!

Foto: Tilen Genov

The turtle is back in the sea

Today, the young loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), found injured and exhausted by Morigenos researchers in June, has been successfully released back into the wild. In the early morning Dr. Zlatko Golob, a veterinarian specialist, examined it for the last time and confirmed that it is in good health. The turtle has successfully recovered at the Aquarium Piran and awaited the day to swim free again. We are proud to have contributed to the successful release of the turtle into the sea and wish it a long and happy life.

Photo: Tilen Genov

Some more pictures of the turtle release can be found here.

Želva ponovno v morju

Mlado morsko želvo vrste glavata kareta (Caretta caretta) , ki smo jo raziskovalci društva Morigenos v juniju poškodovano in obnemoglo našli na morju, smo danes uspešno izpustili in vrnili v naravo. Veterinar specialist, dr. Zlatko Golob jo je v jutranjih urah še zadnjič pregledal in potrdil, da je v dobrem zdravstvenem stanju. Želva je v Akvariju Piran uspešno okrevala in dočakala dan, ko je zopet zaplavala v morju. Ponosni smo, da smo pripomogli k uspešni vrnitvi želve v morje in ji želimo dolgo in lepo življenje.

Foto: Tilen Genov

Fotografije ob izpustitvi želve najdete na tej povezavi: Izpustitev morske želve

Release of the marine turtle

Aquarium Piran, Golob d.o.o. and Morigenos invite you to join us for a special event the release of a young marine turtle back into the wild. In June, Morigenos researchers found and rescued an exhausted loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). The turtle was brought to Piran where Dr. Zlatko Golob, a veterinarian specialist, examined and treated it. Since then, the turtle has been recovering in Aquarium Piran. The time has come to return it back into the wild. University of Primorska, which runs the international project NETCET and carries out satellite tracking of turtles in the Adriatic Sea, will participate in the event. The Institute of the Republic of Slovenia for Nature Conservation, Marine biology station Piran and Institute Biocen also participate in research and conservation of turtles in Slovenia.

The event will take place on Tuesday, 17th of September 2013 at 10:00 on the beach in front of theatre Tartini in Piran. 

Photos of the turtle can be found on this link: Rescued marine turtle

Izpustitev morske želve

Akvarij Piran, Golob d.o.o. in društvo Morigenos vas vabijo, da se nam pridružite ob posebni priložnosti, ko bomo nazaj v morje izpustili mlado morsko želvo. Naj spomnimo, raziskovalci društva Morigenos so letos junija na morju rešili poškodovano in obnemoglo glavato kareto (Caretta caretta). Želvo so prepeljali v Piran, kjer jo je pregledal veterinar specialist dr. Zlatko Golob in ji nudil potrebno prvo pomoč. Od takrat je želva okrevala v Akvariju Piran, sedaj pa je čas, da se vrne v naravo. Pri dogodku bo sodelovala tudi Univerza na Primorskem, ki v okviru mednarodnega projekta NETCET vodi satelitsko sledenje morskih želv v Jadranu. Pri preučevanju in varstvu želv v Sloveniji sodelujejo še Zavod RS za varstvo narave, Morska biološka postaja Piran ter zavod Biocen.

Dogodek bo potekal v torek, 17. septembra 2013 ob 10. uri, na plaži pred gledališčem Tartini v Piranu.

Fotografije želve najdete na tej povezavi: Rešena morska želva

Timi's new gash

Timi has a huge new gash behind his dorsal fin, likely resulting from fierce fights with other dolphins. Such things are quite normal for dolphins and Timi is doing just fine. We have been seeing him regularly throughout the summer, and the new gash makes it even easier for us to identify him at sea. Timi is one of the most frequently encountered dolphins in Slovenian waters, as well as one of those you can simbolically adopt. Left photo: Timi in June 2013. Right and bottom photos: Timi in July 2013.

Photo: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Timijeva nova brazgotina

Timi ima ogromno novo zarezo za hrbtno plavutjo, kar je verjetno posledica intenzivnih bojev z drugimi delfini. Takšne reči so za delfine povsem normalne, Timi pa je kljub novi rani povsem v redu. Redno ga srečujemo celo poletje, zaradi nove poškodbe pa ga sedaj še toliko lažje prepoznamo na morju. Timi je sicer eden izmed najpogostejših delfinov v slovenskih vodah in eden izmed tistih, ki jih lahko simbolično posvojite. Levo: Timi v juniju 2013. Desno in spodaj: Timi v juliju 2013.

Foto: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

New member of the dolphin family

This baby dolphin, photographed off Piran, is the newest addition to our dolphin population. It was born very recently and is likely less than two months old.

Photo: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Novi član delfinje družine

Tale delfinji mladiček, ki smo ga fotografirali nedaleč od Pirana, je najnovejša pridobitev naše delfinje populacije. Skotil se je šele nedavno in je verjetno star manj kot dva meseca. 

Foto: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Japan Dolphin Day

September 1st marks the beginning of the dolphin drive hunting season in Taiji, Japan, where thousands of dolphins are slaughtered every year. To raise public awareness about the issue, a series of events will take place all over the world. In support of the international Japan Dolphin Day, Morigenos, with the help of local community, is organizing a screening of the Oscar winning documentary The Cove, followed by a public discussion. 

The event will take place in the Georgios center (IX. Korpus Street nr. 25, entrance from Adamičeva Street) in Piran at 20:30, entrance is free of charge. We look forward to meeting you there!

Japonski dan delfinov

1. September predstavlja začetek lovske sezone na delfine v Taijiu na Japonskem, kjer vsako leto pobijejo na tisoče delfinov. Z namenom ozaveščanja javnosti bo na ta dan po vsem svetu potekalo veliko različnih dogodkov. V podporo mednarodnega Japonskega dneva delfinov, bo društvo Morigenos s podporo lokalne skuponsti organiziralo ogled z Oskarjem nagrajenega dokumentarnega filma Skriti zaliv in javno razpravo. 

Dogodek bo potekal v centru Georgios (Ulica IX. korpusa 25, vhod na Adamičevi ulici) v Piranu, ob 20:30 uri. Vstop je prost. Veselimo se srečanja z vami!

How many dolphins do you see?

How many dolphins do you see in the photo? Well, this particular group, encountered yesterday and the day before off Piran, contained 55 to 60 dolphins (obviously not all of them are on the photo)! It is the biggest group we've ever encountered in these waters. Thanks to our fisherman friend Baja, who initially saw them and called us!

Photo: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Koliko delfinov vidite?

Koliko delfinov vidite na sliki? V tej skupini, ki smo jo včeraj in predvčerajšnjim srečali nedaleč od Pirana, je bilo 55 do 60 delfinov (vsi seveda niso na sliki)! To je največja skupina, ki smo jo doslej srečali v teh vodah. Iskrena hvala našemu prijatelju, ribiču Baji, ki jih je prvi opazil in nas poklical!

Foto: Tilen Genov, Morigenos

Animal migrations: topic of the month in Gea magazine

Many animal species make incredible migrations. Each year, again and again. Some over short distances, others across half of the world. Some birds and marine mammals travel several thousand kilometers in one direction and then return to the same place. Next year they repeat the entire journey. But how do we know all this? How do we study animal migrations? Tilen Genov and Tina Centrih from Morigenos reviewed the monitoring of animal migrations in the August issue of Gea magazine: Gea topic of the month

Živalske selitve: tema meseca v reviji Gea

Mnoge živalske vrste izvajajo neverjetne migracije. Vsako leto, znova in znova. Nekatere na kratke razdalje, druge čez pol sveta. Nekateri ptiči in morski sesalci vsako leto prepotujejo več tisoč kilometrov v eno smer, se čez nekaj mesecev vrnejo na isto območje, naslednje leto pa celotno zadevo ponovijo. Toda kako vse to vemo? Kako spremljamo živalske migracije? Tilen Genov in Tina Centrih iz društva Morigenos v avgustovski številki revije Gea pišeta o monitoringu živalskih migracij: tema meseca v reviji Gea

The Big Boys

Morigenos »arsenal« for land-based surveying of dolphins recently got a valuable new addition. With the kind support of OceanCare, we were able to buy BigEyes – very powerful binoculars that enable us to detect dolphins over much longer distances and cover a larger portion of our study area from the land observation point. This means that detection rates can be improved and fewer animals missed just by chance. Moreover, such binoculars can enable us to study behavioural responses of dolphins to approaching boats, even when they are further offshore. We've been using BigEyes extensively for the past month and they have already proven very useful: several dolphin groups spotted and lots of new data collected. Thank you OceanCare! And yes, we call them BIG BOYS.

Big Boys

Društvo Morigenos ima novo pridobitev za opazovanje in spremljanje delfinov z obale. Zahvaljujoč prijazni podpori organizacije OceanCare smo pridobili BigEyes – izredno močan daljnogled, ki nam omogoča delfine zaznati na mnogo večje razdalje in tako z obale pokriti mnogo večji del našega območja raziskovanja. Na ta način lahko izboljšamo iskanje delfinov in manj živali zgrešimo zgolj po naključju. Takšna oprema nam omogoča tudi preučevanje vedenjskih odzivov delfinov na prisotnost plovil, tudi ko so daleč od obale. Daljnogled BigEyes smo v zadnjem mesecu veliko uporabljali in že se je pokazal kot izredno koristen: našli smo več skupin delfinov in zbrali veliko novih podatkov. Hvala OceanCare! In ja, daljnogledu smo nadeli vzdevek BIG BOYS.

Sunfish

During one of our recent surveys we received a call about an unusual finding – someone has found a strange (unfortunately dead) fish. People who found it told us they believed it to be an ocean sunfish (Mola mola). Luckily we were nearby, so we managed to locate the fish and confirm that the initial species identification was correct. It was more than one meter long. Even though fish are not the focus of our research we were very glad that the finders called us, because such cases are very important to properly document. The ocean sunfish is predominantly an ocean dwelling species that is seldom found in the northern Adriatic. Only about ten cases have been documented in the Gulf of Trieste in the last 20 years. We collected the fish and informed our colleagues from the Marine Biology Station and the Slovenian Museum of Natural History, that were understandably very interested in the case.

Morski mesec

Nedavno smo v času terenskega dela prejeli klic o nenavadni najdbi – nekdo je v Simonovem zalivu pred Izolo našel (žal mrtvo) nenavadno ribo. Že najditelji so sklepali, da gre za vrsto morski mesec (Mola mola). Na srečo smo bili v bližini, zato smo ribo tudi sami hitro našli in potrdili, da gre res za omenjeno vrsto. V dolžino je merila več kot en meter. Čeprav se z ribami raziskovalno ne ukvarjamo, smo veseli, da so nas najditelji poklicali, saj je tovrstne primere koristno dokumentirati. Morski mesec je namreč predvsem oceanska vrsta, ki se v severnem Jadranu pojavlja razmeroma redko, v zadnjih dveh desetletjih pa je bilo v Tržaškem zalivu zabeleženih le okoli deset primerkov. Žival smo zato vzeli in o najdbi obvestili kolege z Morske biološke postaje in Prirodoslovnega muzeja Slovenije, ki jih tovrstne najdbe zelo zanimajo.

Tilen Genov receives the Kavčič Award

Tilen Genov from Morigenos has received the Kavčič Award for the best short article in the journal Proteus. Each year the Slovenian Society for Natural History gives the award to the most successful young writers of natural science articles. In 2012, the award was shared by Tilen Genov for the article Insights into the interesting lives of »Slovenian« dolphins and Jernej Turnšek for the article Slovenian success at the competition in biomolecular design BIOMOD 2011. Both pieces have been published in the April issue of the journal Proteus.

Tilen Genov prejel Kavčičevo nagrado

Tilen Genov iz društva Morigenos je prejel Kavčičevo nagrado za najboljši kratki naravoslovni prispevek v reviji Proteus. Nagrado, ki jo Prirodoslovno društvo Slovenije vsako leto podeljuje najbolj uspešnim mladim piscem poljudnih naravoslovnih besedil, sta si v letu 2012 razdelila Tilen Genov za besedilo Vpogled v zanimivo življenje »slovenskih« delfinov in Jernej Turnšek za besedilo Slovenski uspeh na tekmovanju iz biomolekularnega dizajna BIOMOD 2011. Obe besedili sta bili objavljeni v aprilski številki revije Proteus.

Rescued marine turtle

On the 30th of June 2013, during the this year’s first summer research course, we found a loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) at sea. The turtle showed visible signs of exhaustion. It had difficulties diving, a lot of barnacles and external wounds on its head and carapace. Based on its body length (35 cm) we could see it was a young animal. Dr. Zlatko Golob, a veterinarian specialist, examined it at the Piran Aquarium. He removed the barnacles, hydrated it, cured the external wounds and treated the animal with antibiotics. The turtle had a bacterial infection, which caused additional gases to form in its body cavities and disabled its normal swimming behaviour. After the treatment, the turtle undertook a swimming test which was very encouraging, as the animal was able to dive again. Since the turtle is quickly recovering, we believe it can be released back to the wild very soon.

Some more pictures of the turtle can be found here. 

Rešili smo morsko želvo

V času raziskovalnih taborov, 30. junija 2013, smo na enem izmed rednih raziskovalnih izhodov na morje našli morsko želvo vrste glavata kareta (Caretta caretta). Želva je kazala vidne znake onemoglosti. Imela je težave pri potapljanju, obraščena je bila s precejšnim številom rakov vitičnjakov, na oklepu in glavi pa je imela vidne poškodbe. Po dolžini njenega oklepa (35 cm) smo ugotovili, da gre za mlado žival. Veterinar specialist, dr. Zlatko Golob jo je v Akvariju Piran pregledal in ji nudil potrebno prvo pomoč. Odstranil je rake vitičnjake z oklepa, jo rehidriral, oskrbel površinske rane ter dal antibiotik. Ugotovil je tudi, da je imela bakterijsko okužbo, zaradi katere se ji je v telesnih votlinah nabiral plin in ji onemogočal normalno potapljanje. Preizkus plavanja po pregledu je bil vzpodbuden, saj se je žival nekajkrat že uspela delno potopiti. Želva hitro okreva in vse kaže, da jo bomo lahko kmalu izpustili nazaj v naravo.

Nekaj fotografij želve si lahko ogledate na tej povezavi.

Dolphin in the river

Italian colleagues from Natural Reserve Miramare notified us of a dolphin that entered the river Corno, near Grado in Italy. We responded to the call to assess the situation and observe the animal. The animal is an adult common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). This species can occasionally be found in rivers. The dolphins usually swim back to sea on their own, so we hope this to be one of such cases. The dolphin is partially emaciated, but otherwise swims normally and appears quite curious. It also appears to be feeding in the river. We made a recommendation to our Italian colleagues that the animal is monitored, but not to try to force the dolphin back to sea. Such attempts are often unsuccessful, while any additional disturbance can cause additional stress to the animal, especially if the causes for its presence in the river are not known. It is also important for the public not to try to feed the animal, as this usually only makes matters worse. We will keep monitoring the situation together with our Italian colleagues.

More photos can be found at Latest dolphin sightings.

Delfin v reki

Italijanski kolegi iz Naravnega rezervata Miramare so nas obvestili, da je v reko Corno pri Gradežu zaplaval delfin. Klicu smo se odzvali, delfina dalj časa opazovali ter ocenili situacijo. Ugotovili smo, da gre za odraslega delfina vrste velika pliskavka (Tursiops truncatus). Ta vrsta se občasno pojavlja tudi v rekah. Ponavadi reko zapustijo sami in se vrnejo nazaj v morje, zato upamo, da bo tudi tokrat tako. Delfin je sicer deloma podhranjen, vendar se giblje normalno in je precej radoveden. Videti je tudi, da se v reki prehranjuje. Italijanskim kolegom smo svetovali, da se delfina sicer opazuje, a da se ga ne nadleguje ali poskuša na silo pregnati nazaj v morje. Tovrstni poskusi so pogosto neuspešni, kakršnokoli vznemirjanje pa lahko povzroči le dodatni stres za delfina, še posebej če ne poznamo natančnih vzrokov za njegovo prisotnost v reki. Prav tako je pomembno, da se delfina ne skuša hraniti, saj to ponavadi zadeve le poslabša. V sodelovanju z italijanskimi kolegi bomo situacijo še naprej spremljali. 

Več fotografij si lahko ogledate na povezavi Zadnja opažanja delfinov.

Summer Research Camps

Morigenos Summer Research Camps will begin soon. You can still join us and gain first hand experience in the research and conservation of dolphins and marine turtles. Support Slovenian Dolphin Project and help with the collection of data and various aspects of the fieldwork. Observe dolphins, marine turtles and marine birds in their natural environment and meet people from other parts of the world. No special skills are required; all you need is good will and enthusiasm. 

We look forward to meeting you!

Poletni raziskovalni tabori

Poletni raziskovalni tabori z delfini se bodo kmalu pričeli. Še vedno se nam lahko pridružite in pridobite izkušnje iz prve roke o raziskovanju in zaščiti delfinov in morskih želv. Podprite Slovenski projekt za delfine in pomagajte pri zbiranju podatkov in terenskem delu. Opazujte delfine, morske želve in morske ptice v njihovem naravnem okolju ter spoznajte ljudi iz različnih delov sveta. Ne potrebujete nobenih posebnih znanj ali spretnosti, le zanimanje in dobro voljo. 

Veselimo se srečanja z vami!

Georgios and Armani

In early May, we encountered two previously unknown dolphins in Piran Bay. They spent most of their time feeding, but they also came to swim under our boat a few times. We called them Georgios and Armani. Yesterday we saw them again, this time off Devin (Duino), where they were happily chasing fish and having a bit of fun. They appeared in a good mood and did not mind our presence, as they approached the boat on several occasions. Because they spent most of their time in the same location, we were able to leave the engine turned off most of the time, in order not to produce unnecessary noise. During the encounter, we carefully recorded the duration of each dive and thus obtained three hours of detailed data on their behaviour. There were many small boats in the area and several people stopped to observe the dolphins. We were very glad to see that everyone behaved in a very responsible and respectful manner. They stopped the boats, turned off their engines and observed the animals from a distance. Nobody attempted to aggressively approach the dolphins. When they had enough, they slowly retreated from the area. This allowed dolphins to hunt without disturbance. Even though maritime traffic is a big problem for dolphins, appropriate behaviour can make our waters a nicer place for them. If you spot dolphins in these waters, please call us at +386 31 77 10 77!

A few photos of yesterday's encounter can be found at Latest dolphin sightings.

Georgios in Armani

V mesecu maju smo v Piranskem zalivu spoznali dva delfina, ki ju prej nismo poznali. Takrat sta se predvsem prehranjevala, nekajkrat pa sta prišla plavat pod naš čoln. Poimenovali smo ju Georgios in Armani. Včeraj smo ju znova srečali, tokrat pri Devinu, kjer sta veselo lovila ribe in se zabavala. Bila sta zelo dobre volje, naša družba pa ju ni motila, saj sta se večkrat sama približala čolnu. Ker sta se zadrževala bolj ali manj na isti lokaciji, smo lahko imeli čoln večino časa ugasnjen, da ne bi povzročali nepotrebnega hrupa. Med opazovanjem smo natančno zabeležili dolžine vseh njunih potopov in tako pridobili tri ure natančnih podatkov o njunem vedenju. Na območju je bilo veliko manjših plovil in marsikdo se je ustavil, da bi delfina opazoval. Na naše veliko veselje so se prav vsi ljudje obnašali zelo odgovorno in spoštljivo. Plovila so ustavili, motorje ugasnili in živali opazovali z razdalje. Nihče se ni skušal približati na silo. Ko so se naveličali, so se počasi umaknili z območja. Delfina sta lahko tako nemoteno lovila ribe, brez da bi ju kdorkoli vznemirjal. Čeprav je lahko pomorski promet za delfine velik problem, lahko s primernim vedenjem omogočimo delfinom prijaznejše okolje. Če na morju opazite delfine, nam to sporočite na 031 77 10 77!

Nekaj fotografij včerajšnjega opažanja si lahko ogledate na povezavi Zadnja opažanja delfinov.

Dolphinaruim-free Europe

Dolphins are intelligent, self-aware beings, living in communities with strong bonds. They have individual signature whistles to call their friends and family, they like to play, hunt and travel together, they mourn their dead, they educate their calves and transmit knowledge across generations. Keeping them in pools to entertain people and making profit is neither educational nor is it saving any dolphin species. Captivity is wrong, as this video shows. 

Free Dolphins Belgium is organizing a demonstration against captivity of cetaceans on 28th of June in Brussels, when European summit will be taking place. The demonstration will start at 15:00 on Place Victor Horta in St Gilles and promote the complete ban of dolphin shows in the European Union. 

15 European countries still have captive whales and dolphins. India recently announced it will ban dolphin parks, let’s step up and make European Union dolphinarium free zone. You can sign the petition here.   

Evropa brez delfinarijev

Delfini so inteligentne živali, ki se zavedajo sami sebe in živijo v tesno povezanih skupnostih. Delfini imajo individualne podpise - žvižge, s katerimi lahko pokličejo prijatelje in družino, radi se igrajo, lovijo in potujejo skupaj, žalujejo za umrlimi člani jate, učijo mladiče in prenašajo znanje na naslednje generacije. V bazenih so le vir dobička in zabave za ljudi, kar nima izobraževalne vloge in ne pripomore k ohranjanju posameznih vrst delfinov. Ujetništvo ni opravičljivo, kar prikazuje tudi ta video. 

Free Dolphins Belgium 28. junija organizira demonstracijo proti ujetništvu kitov in delfinov v Bruslju, kjer bo na ta dan potekal tudi vrh Evropske unije. Demonstracija se bo pričela ob 15:00 uri na Place Victor Horta in St Gilles in se zavzela za popolno prepoved predstav z delfini v Evropski uniji. 

Delfini in kiti so v ujetništvu v 15 Evropskih državah. Indija je pred kratkim napovedala popolno prepoved delfinarijev. Pridružimo se jim in zaprimo delfinarije v Evropski uniji. Peticijo lahko podpišete tukaj.

Preprečimo lov na ogrožene vrste ptic

V Sloveniji je vsako leto ustreljenih več kot 40.000 ptic. Ptice kot so jerebica, fazan in mlakarica ne povzročajo nikakršne gospodarske škode, vendar so tarča lova za zabavo. Predlog za spremembo lovske zakonodaje vključuje dodajanje osmih zavarovanih vrst ptic na seznam lovne divjadi. Med predlaganimi vrstami je pet v Sloveniji ogroženih gnezdilk. Lov nanje bi ogrozil obstoj teh vrst v Sloveniji. 

Društvo Morigenos je uradni podpornik kampanje Društva za opazovanje in proučevanje ptic Slovenije (DOPPS) in drugih nevladnih organizacij proti uvrstitvi zavarovanih vrst ptic med lovno divjad in proti lovu ptic brez ekološko utemeljenih razlogov. 

Pridružite se pozivu, naslovljenemu na pristojnega ministra za kmetijstvo in okolje, ki nasprotuje predlaganim spremembam v Uredbi o določitvi divjadi in lovnih dob! 

Vašo podporo lahko s podpisom peticije izrazite tukaj. Pobudo lahko podprete tudi na Facebooku. 

Najlepša hvala za vaš glas! 

Foto: Kajetan Kravos

Dolphins at Internautica 2013

International Boat show Internautica will host the exhibition Dolphins in Slovenian waters. Its purpose is to present the life of dolphins in Slovenia, research and to raise awareness that dolphins are an important part of marine ecosystem. Effective conservation of dolphins helps protecting other animals and the environment they live in. The program will be diverse with expert meetings, sports and other events. Mitja Zupančič (Osminka&co), our friend and supporter will present an exhibition Svetilniki.XIX (Lighthouses.XIX). We recommend you to have a look at it. 

Nautical enthusiasts who will visit Internautica from 10th to 12th of May and from 17th to 19th of May in Marina Portorož are welcome to visit the exhibition in Hall B and learn about dolphins in Slovenia.