Dolphins and Whales in the Strait of Gibraltar

Casa
España
Tarifa
Dolphins and Whales in the Strait of Gibraltar

The dolphins and whales in the Strait of Gibraltar are endangered. The foundation firmm is dedicated

The Strait of Gibraltar between Africa and Europe is only 14 km wide and home to seven different species of dolphins and whales. But it’s also one of the busiest international seaways in the world, so that collisions with cargo ships, underwater noise, and pollution by oil, chemicals, plastic and radioactive wastewater, overfishing, by-catch, trawl nets, ever increasing tourism, whale hunting and

invasive research are threatening them all the time…

In 1998 the Swiss Katharina Heyer established firmm (= foundation for information and research on marine mammals), a non-profit organization with, as the name already suggests, two very well thought out goals:

1) RESEARCH ON THE DOLPHINS AND WHALES IN THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR: Katharina Heyer works together with the university of Basel. firmm‘s research work includes among others the registration of all sightings, populations and migrations using photo-identification, taking plankton samples, and so on in the Strait of Gibraltar. This should deepen the knowledge about the dolphins and whales in this area and ultimately support firmm’s requirements for protection. The foundation firmm finances its research activities through gifts and through organizing whale watching courses for marine biology students and interested people, and tourist boat trips taking 2 or 3 hours. The revenues of the whale watching tours will also be used for building the Dolphin Sanctuary in Morocco…

2) SENSIBILIZING PEOPLE ON THE PROTECTION OF THE SEA AND THE ANIMALS LIVING IN IT: Under the motto ‘only what we people know, we can appreciate and love – and we are willing to protect’ Katharina Heyer tries to strive after sensibilization. For this she cooperates with Spanish authorities, environmental organizations, public institutions and the media. Furthermore she holds seminars and lectures just before the boat trips and at cultural and informative events at Spanish, Swiss and German schools and hotels, to associations and companies, in municipalities, etc. And she’s present with firmm at several travel fairs in Switzerland and Germany…

To realize the aims of her foundation, Katharina Heyer focuses on two key action areas year in year out. She spends the summer months from April to October in Tarifa, Spain. And in November, when the boat trips around Tarifa become impossible because of the wind, she returns to Stallikon in her country of birth, Switzerland, where she winters until March.

09/10/2024

New on YouTube: AS LONG AS I CAN (by Ran Levy-Yamamori)

Many articles have been written, videos made about Katharina Heyer's life story and her work for firmm.

But no one like 'As Long As I Can'. It's a mixture of pictures of the firmm-foundress telling about her activities, and all the marine mammal species living in the Strait of Gibraltar, above and underwater.

Climax and goosebumps at the end, when Katharina sets her vision for her future life in a very determined way:

'I really want to be on the boat.
I want to be with the animals...
I will do it as long as I can do it...
I know one day there will be pains here or there.
But as long as I don't have this, I will go on the boat.'

(At the same time she explains the title of the short film.)

You can watch the video at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr6R197L7Os

A documentary about Katharina Heyer about the whales and the dolphins in the Gibraltar Strait, and about respectful whale watching.

04/10/2024

GOOD NEWS!

firmm has extended the whale watching season in Tarifa. Provided the weather is fine, they're sailing until Thursday November 7th 2024 ;-).

Online booking at: https://www.firmm.org/en/for
Telephone: +34-956-627008

(Picture: firmm - Pilot whales)

20/09/2024

THE 2024 ORCA SEASON ...

Summer is almost over. We're at the threshold of autumn now.

July and August, the high season, were fantastic months for firmm. With few windy days, hence lots of days on which the firmm-crew could sail out with many tourists to enjoy the presence of the dolphins and whales in the Strait of Gibraltar ;-).

But the number of orca sightings was very disappointing. They were spotted only 10 times in 2 different pods :-(.

More (pictures and comments) on firmm's website at:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/the-orca-season-2024

(Picture: firmm)

16/08/2024

UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS

Katharina (Heyer) said: 'You won't believe what a trip that was. It's worth a blog.'

A firmm-volunteer: 'That was soooo great. I'm so happy.'

Katharina again: 'One of the most beautiful excursions in the 26-year history of firmm.'

And indeed, a s***m whale, about 13 orcas and 2 fin whales on one tour. That doesn't happen very often.

Read and watch:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/unforgettable-moments

(Picture: firmm)

19/07/2024

UNREST IN THE STRAIT

Dogs sense a coming storm.

Pilot whales feel the presence of the killer whales in the beginning of July, the start of the orca season in Tarifa.

Read about this special animal behaviour on firmm's website at:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/turmoil-in-the-strait-3678

(Pictures: firmm)

31/05/2024

TARIFA: A Sea of Flowers

Thanks to the rain in early spring the landscape around Tarifa has changed in May.

When going for a short walk, you only have to take a small path leading to the rocky coast over a small bridge and you'll arrive in a whole new world full of flowers of all kinds and colours!

Then it's time to relax, empty your mind and feed it with positive thoughts...

Pictures: Dolphins and Whales in the Strait of Gibraltar

19/05/2024

Tarifa, May 18th 2024

5 (!) species on one trip: pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins, 4 s***m whales, common dolphins and striped dolphins.

Well done, firmm!!!

Pictures: Dolphins and Whales in the Strait of Gibraltar

13/05/2024

Tarifa, May 12th 2024

New adventures with firmm: common dolphins, pilot whales, s***m whales, ...

Pictures: Dolphins and Whales in the Strait of Gibraltar

06/05/2024

Tarifa, May 6th 2024

Pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins and a s***m whale: simple ingredients for a delicious trip with firmm!

Pictures: Dolphins and Whales in the Strait of Gibraltar

23/04/2024

A GOOD START INTO THE 2024 SEASON

Although firmm's new whale watching season started somewhat later than planned due to bad weather conditions in Tarifa, at the beginning of April already 4 different species of marine mammals were already spotted in the Strait of Gibraltar: s***m whales, pilot whales (amongst them many adopted ones), bottlenose dolphins and common dolphins.

We wish firmm a good continuation in their work!

Report and pictures at:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/a-good-start-to-the-season-2024

Picture: firmm

02/04/2024

With an extract from the book about Katharina Heyer, 'Whales Calling' (p. 234), we're very proud to announce firmm's new whale watching season in Tarifa!

'But this year was different. Instead of pilot whales, s***m whales appeared! On one trip, we saw nine together in one group. That was a new record even for me. That year, they stayed longer than usual in the Strait of Gibraltar – normally s***m whales only pass through. Almost every trip was a hit; the tourists got their money’s worth. I noticed a s***m whale whose skin was covered in white spots, so I christened him 'Pigmento'. The animals get such marks, if they hunt squids and these defend themselves with their sharp tentacles. If we didn’t see s***m whales, we saw fin whales...'

Reservations:

📞 +34-956-627008 or 💻 https://www.firmm.org/en/for

Picture: firmm

26/01/2024

REVIEW ADOPTED ANIMALS 2023

Already having goosebumps cause only two months to go until firmm's new whale watching season in Tarifa 🔥🔥.

Last year more than 300 s***m whales and 115 fin whales were spotted and the orcas Camorro and Matriarchin were finally back.

Ready for the 2024 edition!

In the meantime, you can have a look at firmm's animals for adoption at:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/review-sponsored-animals-2023

(Picture: firmm)

05/12/2023

WHEN NATURE SHOWS US ITS GENEROSITY

Seeing so many common and bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, etc. in the wild on the firmm-boat always evokes thoughts and emotions...

Like young children we're amazed by the playful innocence they pass on.

Or if they make contact, there's communication, 'something' is happening.

It's enough to open ourselves up to nature, observe it and respect it.

Do you also want to get that special, magical feeling? Then read one of firmm's latest news blogs at:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/when-nature-shows-us-its-abundance

(Picture: Albert Rietjens)

24/11/2023

OCTOBER, AUTUMN STORMS AND THE ORCAS IN THE MIDDLE OF IT ALL?!

It's almost a month since firmm's last boat trip of this year's whale watching season in Tarifa. Time flies so fast. It seems like yesterday...

Today we look back on last October, which was a bit special: after a Levante break of almost 3 weeks the orcas showed up once again!

Read the richly illustrated report on firmm's website at:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/october-autumn-storms-and-in-the-middle-orcas

(Picture: firmm)

10/11/2023

UPDATE ON THE ORCAS LOVING SAILING BOATS

Jörn Selling, firmm's marine biologist, has already written several articles on the orcas attacking sailing boats in the Strait of Gibraltar. He was always trying to find answers to the question why they do so.

A few weeks ago he wrote another news blog on this topic. This time he suggested various ways to prevent the killer whales from doing these scary things. A very interesting problem-solving approach!

Have a look at firmm's website:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/update-on-the-sailboat-loving-orcas

(Picture: firmm)

13/10/2023

After a long, forced Levante break firmm is sailing again today!

Last spring Pia, presenter of the German children's television programme 'Pia und die Wilde Natur' (Pia and Wild Nature), visited firmm with her film crew. Finally, the programme is online now!

It's very special: Pia did not only sail out with Mrs. Katharina Heyer on the firmm Vision, but also with Mr. José Manuel Escobar Casado, one of firmm's marine biologists, on a small zodiac. As they were so close to the dolphins and whales, he told her everything about photo identification...

You can watch the video at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyykAYji73c (from 15:00)

Or read firmm's report at:

https://www.firmm.org/en/news/article/items/pia-in-the-wilderness

Tierisch interessant: Noch mehr spannende Videos findest Du in der Wilden Tierwelt der ARD-Mediathek: https://1.ard.de/wildetierwelt.👍 Die Meerenge von Gibr...

26/09/2023

CAMINITO DEL REY

The 7.7 km long King's Litlle Pathway begins in Ardales and ends in El Chorro.

It was named after King Alfonso XIII and built between 1901 and 1905 to ensure the accessability of the hydroelectric power plants.

In the past many people lost their lives there, but it's safe now, as it was restored in 2014 and reopened to the public in 2015.

The highlight of the Desfiladero de los Gaitanes (=Gorge of the Birds of Prey) is the railway viaduct and the waterfall more than 100 m above the river, which is active depending on the season.

More information at:

https://www.caminitodelrey.info/en/

Dirección

Calle Alcalde Juan Núñez, 10, L-1
Tarifa
11380

Página web

https://firmmkaheeng.wordpress.com/

Notificaciones

Sé el primero en enterarse y déjanos enviarle un correo electrónico cuando Dolphins and Whales in the Strait of Gibraltar publique noticias y promociones. Su dirección de correo electrónico no se utilizará para ningún otro fin, y puede darse de baja en cualquier momento.

Contato La Empresa

Enviar un mensaje a Dolphins and Whales in the Strait of Gibraltar:

Videos

AFTER THE RAIN COMES SUNSHINE ;-) Today's 2nd firmm-trip started with thunder and lightning, heavy rain and even hail! The sea was dark. And we had the impression that we were on board Noah's Ark instead of firmm Vision. But later on the sky gradually cleared up and everyone forgot about the severe storm, when the animals showed up: first pilot whales, then bottlenose dolphins and finally two sperm whales, one of them very close to the boat.