3-hour tour dolphin watching: April, May and October
4-hour tour dolphin watching and guided snorkelling: June-September
This excursion departs from the port of Alghero. At the meeting point, you will be greeted by a researcher from MareTerra ERC, who will guide you to our boats. Our boats have been built to carry out dolphin-watching activities and to ensure safe navigation in the Gulf of Alghero. There is no fixed route for this excursion; instead, the navigation direction will be determined after leaving the port, based on recent monitoring activities and the movements of the dolphins, as well as the current sea conditions.
During the boat ride, we will share our findings about the local dolphin population, specifically the bottlenose dolphin, which resides close to the coast. If we spot any dolphins, we will approach them following the certified international code of conduct (HQWW® - High-Quality Whale Watching) to minimise our impact on their daily life. While observing the dolphins, you will also witness researchers collecting scientific data such as photo identification (recognizing dolphins via photos of their dorsal fins), geographical location, and behavioural observations. The data collected are used to publish articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Our main objectives for these excursions are to monitor the dolphin population and its health, enhance scientific knowledge of the species, and promote conservation efforts in collaboration with institutions and other research groups.
We may be able to identify some dolphins on-site and provide you with their names and additional information. If conditions permit, you may listen to the sounds that dolphins use to communicate via the hydrophone we use for bioacoustics research. Sightings are quite common, occurring in over 80% of our tours. However, please remember that these are wild animals that constantly move over large areas; while we have a good understanding of their movements and habits, there is always a possibility that you may not encounter them.
From June to September we stop 1-hour in the Marine Protected Area of Capo Caccia and Isola Piana to discover marine life with guided snorkelling. We provide masks and fins on board for you.
No matter where we go, the coastal scenery is among the most beautiful in Sardinia. We will provide information and share interesting facts about everything we encounter during the excursion.
The trip concludes back at the port of Alghero.
