Visiting

Two Barcelona natives are dedicating their lives to the study of fin whales migrating from the Atlantic: biologist Gemma Gonzàlez and diver Albert Lopez. However, more than just study, they are on a mission to share the annual phenomenon when up to 2,000 of the animals swim through the Strait of Gibraltar and past Catalunya on their journey to feeding grounds in the Ligurian Sea, between the Italian Riviera and the islands of Corsica and Elba.
 

The couple live aboard their 47-foot sailing catamaran ‘Dzul Haà’ (meaning Lord of the Sea in Mayan) moored in Roses harbour; a boat that acts as their home and office, a charter vessel and a floating science laboratory. Originally dolphin trainers in Riccione in Italy, they later worked at Barcelona Zoo for five years, but became disenchanted with the ‘circus’ approach they felt the institution took towards the animals in their care. As a direct result of their experiences Gonzàlez and Lopez set up Project Ninam in 2001.
Fin whales have long been visitors to Catalunya’s shores, but until Project Ninam started in Roses, little was known about their numbers, their behaviour or migration path. At its heart, the project is one of serious scientific research and Gonzàlez and Lopez are keen to distinguish the experience they offer to the public from standard ‘whale watching’ holidays. Whilst they charter their boat to people who want to observe the creatures in their natural habitat (a Saturday and Sunday charter with food and a night on board comes to around m250), the trips are carried out in a responsible and sensitive way with the aims of the project always paramount. By helping with the on-board chores and taking some of the scientific readings, their guests can contribute something positive towards mankind’s knowledge of these extraordinary animals.
In parallel with the work going on at Roses, there is also an on-line project run by a Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) student, Nuria Julià, which graphically displays sightings of cetaceans on a continually updated chart. The site is accessible by the general public, and makes it clear that Catalunya’s whales are not confined to deeper waters. For instance, adult fin whales and dolphins are regularly sighted just a few hundred metres off the coast of Cadaqués.