ZAGREB, 20 June (Hina) - Researchers from the Blue World Institute and the Croatian Natural History Museum have, for the first time in the Adriatic Sea, tagged a bottlenose dolphin with a satellite transmitter, marking the beginning of a new phase in monitoring this protected species.
As they reported on Thursday, the satellite transmitter was attached on 15 June to a male dolphin named Vinko, a well-known member of a population from the Lošinj Archipelago, a few kilometres off Veli Lošinj. Vinko was born in 2015 and is regularly sighted in the Kvarnerić area. He is easily recognisable by his dorsal fin, which was injured during play and interactions with other dolphins.
“Vinko was playful this time as well, in the company of seven other dolphins, including a female he often spends time with. We stayed with the group for an hour after tagging to observe his behaviour. Although he was initially reserved, he soon behaved completely normally,” said Grgur Pleslić, director of the Blue World Institute’s Science Programme.
The satellite signal received immediately after tagging confirmed the equipment was functioning properly, and researchers located Vinko again on 17 June in the Velebit Channel, in a group of 11 dolphins, confirming that both the dolphin and the transmitter were in good condition.
This new research phase is part of the Adriatic Dolphin Project, which has been monitoring the movement and social interactions of Adriatic dolphins for over 35 years, recognising individual dolphins based on photographs of their dorsal fins.
Although this method is highly effective for identifying individuals, estimating population size, and determining group composition and social structures, it does not allow for the collection of detailed information about habitat use and movement patterns.
“We expect the data obtained to guide further research and conservation measures for this species. We plan to tag additional individuals,” said Draško Holcer, the lead researcher from the Croatian Natural History Museum, after the Blue World Institute launched the first satellite telemetry study of bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic to complement decades of collected data.
“This study will provide the first detailed insights into the movement of bottlenose dolphins in the Adriatic. We also aim to understand their nocturnal behaviour, individual home ranges, feeding strategies, and possible interactions with fisheries,” he added.
