Non è la prima volta che i partecipanti al Cetacean Sanctuary Research a bordo della Pelagos ci sorprendono.
La loro gentilezza, la sensibilità verso le tematiche ambientali e, a volte, anche una sorprendente conoscenza del mare e dei suoi abitanti non smettono mai di colpirci. E quando questa conoscenza non c’è ancora, viene compensata da un’incredibile curiosità e da una grande voglia di imparare.
Il turno CSR 12, dall’11 al 17 agosto 2025, ci ha stupiti in modo particolare — per il suo inconfondibile spirito artistico: disegnatori, fotografi e… poeti!
Ogni anno, nuovi volti portano nuova energia a bordo, unendosi a noi nella missione comune di comprendere e proteggere sempre meglio balene e delfini del Mediterraneo.
Un sentito grazie di cuore a tutti i partecipanti, di quest’anno e degli anni passati. Senza di voi, il nostro lavoro per studiare e tutelare i mammiferi marini del Mediterraneo semplicemente non sarebbe possibile.
Ballata della Pelagos e del mare
Upon the blue where dolphins play,
We sailed at dawn one golden day,
With Tethys’ crew and hearts set wide,
The Pelagos began to glide.
The pilot whales in silent grace,
Encircled us—a soft embrace,
Their calves would leap, their voices sing,
A hymn of deep and sacred things.
Striped dolphins danced in curling foam,
As though they knew this boat was home,
They raced the bow with shining eyes,
Beneath the vault of endless skies.
A turtle slid beneath the blue,
So calm, so slow, just passing through,
While tuna flashed in fleeting flight—
False hope beneath the searing light.
Then came the whale—majestic, vast,
Time itself seemed slow to pass,
The Pelagos and watchers still,
He met us with a curious will.
Gasps and tears upon the deck,
No words could shape what happened next—
A breath, a blow, a mighty dive,
And hearts so full they came alive.
The storm then called us back to shore,
Yet laughter rang forevermore,
With music, tales, and food divine,
We shared our souls, we shared our time.
The cutting club, at dusk and dawn,
With joy and recipes was drawn,
We chased the Risso’s far and wide—
They played their tricks and chose to hide.
One night we rocked in secret coves,
Like cradled babes the ocean holds,
While moonlight danced on waters still,
Our dreams afloat, our spirits filled.
We dove into the Med’s cool grace,
Each splash a hymn, each swim a trace,
Of wonder, awe, and something more—
A world worth fighting to restore.
No word or phrase can quite convey,
The magic shared that sacred week,
But hearts left full, with love anew,
For sea, for life, for all that’s true.
So thank you, Tethys, skies and tide,
The Pelagos, our ocean guide—
We carry now within our core.
Orla Reilly
