Malta Cetacean and Sea Turtle Research Program

I joined KAI Expeditions as a member of an international film crew in 2012. We sailed for 3 weeks along the Spanish coast of the Mediterranean to do research on big open ocean animals like whales and turtles. For me, as a biologist working mainly at the coast, it was an excellent chance to widen my view on life in the ocean with experts who do this type of research for almost 25 years.

Days at sea are quite intense. Either you get up before sunrise if you were in port overnight to go out with the first light, or you are already out and it is your turn to get up for watches of different kind. Helping to prepare the ship to leave the harbour and set sail in a team gives you a great kick-start into the day.

Out at sea, you have to take watches for lookout, navigation, cooking, and cleaning. If you are able, you are involved in driving the inflatable boat to find and eventually catch a turtle for tagging, or take photos of pilot whales and dolphins for later ID work, or run the hydrophone set-up. During night sailing, you also have to assist the master and the ship's crew in doing watches.

In between, there is always time to have a chat, to ask "stupid" questions to the experts about sailing, navigation, weather, animals or the political implications of conservation in one of the centers of maritime traffic, the southern Mediterranean Sea.