Initiative aims to create comprehensive record of Greece's cetaceans

A small aircraft set off on a very special mission off the southern coast of Crete on June 3, to zigzag over hundreds of square kilometers just 180 meters from the surface of the sea for four to eight hours a day, through the summer.

Through the twin-engine survey aircraft's balloon windows, three experts have been recording cetacean activity in what is the first concerted effort of its kind to get an understanding of their populations in Greece's seas, but also in this part of the Mediterranean. The data will be used to design measures to protect endangered species of whales, dolphins and porpoises but also to address issues that may be affecting the fine balances of the marine environment.

"Greece is considered an extremely important area for cetaceans, yet our knowledge about them is limited and erratic," said Costas Liarikos, head of environmental programs for the...