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Catania: Dolphin Monitoring Sailing Experience with Marecamp
Features
- Free cancellation available
- 3h 30m
- Mobile voucher
- Instant confirmation
- Multiple languages
Overview
- We are the only team in Sicily awarded the "High-Quality Whale Watching" label
- Activity purpose is to sustain scientific research for cetacean conservation
- Chance to admire the magnificent sea landscape and Mediterranean biodiversity
- Be onboard with specialists who have been monitoring the Gulf for over a decade
- High probability of dolphin sightings thanks to specialised observers onboard
Activity location
- Catania
- Catania, Sicilia, Italy
Meeting/Redemption Point
- Lungomare Scardamiano, 5A, 95021 Aci Castello CT, Italia | During summer (May 1st - September 30th) tour depart mainly from the Port of Aci Castello, in via Lungomare Scardamiano 1, in front of our meeting point. During winter (October 1st - April 30th) we depart only from the Port of Catania. (From the main entrance of the Port of Catania, go straight and then turn right, going past the "Vecchia Dogana-Levante" (pink building) and stopping before the Coast Guard (yellow building). The floating docks are on the left of this road, the one of the Club Nautico with the Marecamp boats is the last one. There is also a small free parking lot here.)
- Aci Castello, Sicilia, Italy
Check availability
Catania: Dolphin Monitoring Sailing Experience with Marecamp
- 3h 30m
- English
What's included, what's not
- Use of binoculars, cetacean identification cards, and survey sheets onboard.
- Skipper and marine biologist on board.
- Information briefing on cetaceans and the monitored area.
- Guide and continuous description of the observed species.
- Rental of a dinghy or motor boat or sailing boat of 7.20 m or 14 m depending on the number of passengers and season (compliant safety equipment and life jackets included for all passengers).
- The experience does not include:
- Shuttle Service
- Drink and food
- Photo-video package of the day (available upon request and chargeable)
- Swim with dolphins (Prohibited)
- We regularly encounter pods of striped dolphin, bottlenose dolphin and common dolphin. On lucky days it is possible to encounter sperm whales and fin whales.
- We could also spot sea turtles, sunfish, tuna, sea birds, and many other species.
- Please remember that we will be in a wild environment, so no sightings can be guaranteed, although the likelihood of encountering dolphins is high.
Know before you book
- Not allowed: Alcohol and drugs, Diving, Explosive substances, Feeding animals, Fishing, High-heeled shoes, Jumping, Littering, Making noise, Smoking, Swimming, Unaccompanied minors
What you can expect
The observation of cetaceans carried out with Marecamp presupposes compliance with the international code of good conduct approved by the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the contiguous Atlantic area (ACCOBAMS).
The offer is open to nature lovers, those who dream of meeting dolphins in their natural habitat, and sea and photography enthusiasts. It consists of daily eco-tours (minimum 2,5 hours and maximum 4,5 hours) by dinghy or sailing boat in the Gulf of Catania. Depending on the season, weather conditions and the daily number of participants, our boats set sail from the ports of Catania or Aci Castello (during the autumn-winter season we depart only from Catania).
Once on board our boat with skippers and marine biologists, we will go out to sea with the precious information provided on the area explored and the species present. We will look at the horizon, proceeding at low cruising speed in search of a fin, a breath, a jump and any useful clue on the water's surface that signals the presence of animals.
The biologists will answer all your marine curiosities, and you will help them fill out the on-board survey forms to collect environmental data.
Once the first dolphins have been spotted, we will approach the pod following an international code of conduct that allows us to observe the natural behaviour of the animals, reducing the disturbance we cause to a minimum. They will show you their inevitable aerial behaviour, while you will be ready to immortalise them with photos and videos. Finally, we will leave the pod and return home, remembering what incredible wonder the sea has just given us.
Meeting dolphins in the open sea is not easy, so we will have on board the best marine biologists and observers thanks to which our probability of sighting will be very high even if not 100%.
In the event of a missed sighting, your contribution will not be reimbursed, you will have nevertheless experienced a pleasant experience at sea.
For reasons of animal disturbance and safety of passengers dropped close to wild predators, we will never offer you to swim close to a whale or a dolphin.
Location
Activity location
- Catania
- Catania, Sicilia, Italy
Meeting/Redemption Point
- Lungomare Scardamiano, 5A, 95021 Aci Castello CT, Italia | During summer (May 1st - September 30th) tour depart mainly from the Port of Aci Castello, in via Lungomare Scardamiano 1, in front of our meeting point. During winter (October 1st - April 30th) we depart only from the Port of Catania. (From the main entrance of the Port of Catania, go straight and then turn right, going past the "Vecchia Dogana-Levante" (pink building) and stopping before the Coast Guard (yellow building). The floating docks are on the left of this road, the one of the Club Nautico with the Marecamp boats is the last one. There is also a small free parking lot here.)
- Aci Castello, Sicilia, Italy