These are pilot whales, fin whales, sperm whales, common dolphins, striped dolphins bottlenose dolphins and Risso's dolphins. As part of the event in Rome, the new sanctuary was designated a Gift to the Earth under the WWF's Living Planet campaign. Gifts of this nature are commitments by governments, corporations or individuals to help preserve the planet's natural wealth. The treaty creating the whale and dolphin sanctuary commits France, Italy and Monaco to coordinate monitoring activities and to intensify efforts against both land based and marine sources of pollution. The three countries will coordinate research programs and public awareness campaigns about the marine mammals and their environment.
Whale watchers spot a dolphin off the Ligurian coast.
The new protected area is the most important feeding ground for whales and dolphins. Here the number of dolpins and whales is two to four times higher than in the rest of the Mediterranean Sea. The nutritionally rich Ligurian Sea is inhabited by some 2,000 whales and between 25,000 and 45,000 dolphins during the summer months. Sabatini hopes to extend the sanctuary to include the waters around Spain's Balearic Islands, a stopping point for migrating whales. All Rights Reserved.