Conservation sailing holiday in Greece
| country: | Greece |
| location: | Ionian Sea |
| departures: | 2008: 6 Sep, 13 Sep, 20 Sep, 27 Sep |
| price: | From €640 - €1152 (7 - 14 days) excluding flights. Price includes skipper, deck hand/light cook, biologist guide, breakfast, water supplies, port fees and snorkelling equipment. Small groups of up to 7 guests |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Two weeks dedicated to endangered species and rare representatives of both the animal and plant kingdoms are what this project is all about.
Our biologist Dr. Panayiotis Pafilis, specialized in the fauna of the Mediterranean, will be our guide through this amazing journey of evolution. Tahita will set course for the area of depths up to 2,000m in the west Ionian Sea, at a place where sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus gather to forage the giant squid. With the aid of our hydrophone we'll try to listen to their voices and track them down. Panayiotis has chosen the islands where we'll be anchoring in between our whale spotting in accordance to the uniqueness of their wildlife. He'll introduce you to species of birds, reptiles, invertebrates and mammals as well as the local tales of places unspoilt by modern way of life.
You're welcome to join us and participate in our project either for one or two weeks.
Please see our other Conservation sailing holiday in Greece here.
Our biologist Dr. Panayiotis Pafilis, specialized in the fauna of the Mediterranean, will be our guide through this amazing journey of evolution. Tahita will set course for the area of depths up to 2,000m in the west Ionian Sea, at a place where sperm whales Physeter macrocephalus gather to forage the giant squid. With the aid of our hydrophone we'll try to listen to their voices and track them down. Panayiotis has chosen the islands where we'll be anchoring in between our whale spotting in accordance to the uniqueness of their wildlife. He'll introduce you to species of birds, reptiles, invertebrates and mammals as well as the local tales of places unspoilt by modern way of life.
You're welcome to join us and participate in our project either for one or two weeks.
Please see our other Conservation sailing holiday in Greece here.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Our starting point is Corfu Island, the Homeric island of Faeacus. With the traces of the Venetian era evident everywhere, the old city resembles a theatrical scenic and offers a quick "journey" to the glorious past of the Republica Serenisima. We’ll meet at the fishing port of Petriti where you will be briefed on the week’s activities. There will be plenty of time to settle down on the boat and get to know each other over a nice meal. |
| Day 2: | Our first stop will be Acherontas River, the mythical gate to the World of the Dead. Fortunately our boatman does not demand coins for a macabre journey but drives us to the estuary ecosystem of Acheronta's where many animal species of both fresh and sea water live. We will moor to the picturesque harbour of Parga, which still maintains the stately profile of the rich ship owners' city that used to have some centuries ago. |
| Day 3: | Sperm whale tracking. The sun rises from the mountains of Epirus and so does our anchor with destination to the Paxoi islands complex, famous for their jade green waters. But our voyage today is quite special: following an arch-line bearing in the depth line of up to 2,000 meters and with the aid of our hydrophone we will attempt to track down the biggest of all the Mediterranean dwellers, the sperm-whale Physeter macrocephalus. Seeking their food that is consisting almost entirely on giant squids (which are abundant thanks to the rich in nutrients waters of the region), sperm whales are common visitors in this corner of the Mediterranean. We will spend the night in the unique in its shape port of Gaios that is actually a vast corridor between the main island and an all-green islet. |
| Day 4: | Sperm whale tracking. This day is also dedicated to tracking down our Leviathan. We’ll follow a similar route and spend the day monitoring our hydrophone and observing the horizon through our binoculars seeking sperm whales. Another full day sailing and observing the deep blue sea. By noon we’ll arrive at the capital and main port of Lefkada island where we’ll spend the night. |
| Day 5: | Sperm whale tracking. We will rove in the whales region for one more day. Towards the end of our sail, we'll reach the magnificent cove of Agiofili in the southermost edge of Leukada island where we’ll enjoy a barbeque on the beach. |
| Day 6: | A short sail today between mainland Greece and Leukada, an area full of small islets, some of them deserted and other inhabited by few fishermen. This area offers hospitality to many rare species like the pigmy cormorant Phalacrocorax pygmaeus and it's the best spot to estimate the Ionian biodiversity. Our night harbour will be the beautiful bay of the deserted island of Atocos where we will share a simple and beautiful experience: stay on anchor and sleep under the starry Ionian night. |
| Day 7: | Cephalonia, the biggest and the craziest (according to its very habitants!) island of the Ionian is hosting us today. The undeniable king of the rich flora of the island is the local fir species Abies cephalonica found in the dense forests of the high mountain (over 1,600 m) Ainos that is characterized as a National Park. So, this is trekking time! We’ll end our adventure in the picturesque fishing village of Fiscardo. Relax and taste the special local cuisine. That will be the end of the first week of our this project. Please note that all the photographs and specimen that you may collect during the week will be offered to scientists to assist them in their data collection and researches. The above route may slightly change because of the weather and factors beyond our control. We'll do our best. Everything else is KISMET! |
| Day 8: | Cephalonia. We’ll start our journey from the fishing village of Fiscardo in Cephalonia, widely known due to Captain Corelli’s Mandolin film. After our briefing on the week’s activities and the arrangement of provisions, you can explore the astonishing beaches or walks of the island. |
| Day 9: | The bay of Laganas in Zakynthos Island is, without any doubt, one of the better-known places around the Mediterranean. But it's not for its breathtaking sunsets, nor its emerald waters or spectacular rocks. It's known for offering hospitality to a rather unusual visitor: the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta. Laganas beach is one of the most significant nesting areas in the Mediterranean and is consider extremely crucial for the survival of the species. We will have the opportunity to visit the nesting areas and to learn about the efforts of Archelon, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece. There is a volunteer training centre where you can offer your help. |
| Day 10: | We sail to the small harbour of Keri that is located in south Zakynthos. Pay attention everywhere around you because this area is full of dolphins as well! Arriving in Keri we will walk among a typical insular phryganic ecosystem and we will spend the night in the hospitable bay in the mouth of the village. |
| Day 11: | The route from Zakynthos to Kaifa Lake is one of the best places for dolphin spotting. Herds of few members are foraging in the area and the more common species are the bottle-nosed dolphin Tursiops truncatus, the common dolphin Delphinus delphis and the striped dolphin Stenella caeruleoalba. We’ll take advantage of the hydrophone in our boat in order to listen to their magical voices and track them down. It’s important to take pictures and notes of the characteristics and numbers of the dolphins we spot. Every data or picture we collect will be given to scientists to aid their research projects. |
| Day 12: | Our day station will be Kaifa Lake, a wetland in western Peloponnese, very popular for its natural spa and baths. In the subsaline waters of the lake many fish species find a safe refuge and even the loggerhead turtle and the green turtle Chelonia mydas are regular visitors. |
| Day 13: | Almost lost in the south Ionian Sea, the Strofades complex, two tiny islets waiting for the patient voyager to discover them. In the biggest one there are still ruins of an old monastery. Despite the size of the islands, their ecological significance is great: the phenomenon of gigantism, a typical insular adaptation, is observed in the small population of the Balkan wall lizard Podarcis taurica, which lives in the complex. |
| Day 14: | After our breakfast on the boat, we’ll sail back to Zakynthos towards our farewell dinner. The above route can change because of the weather or factors beyond our control. Fortunately we cannot control nature! |
how this holiday makes a difference
 Our primary objective is the study and protection of the marine world and the raising of awareness on environmental issues. In order to support our goal, we have formed a series of ecotourism projects involving sailing, diving and/or exploring unique species. When our sailing boat, is not chartered, we sail around cleaning beaches, recycling or helping researchers and organisations to collect data in order to study and protect the environment and wildlife.Our base has become the island of Syros where most of the maintenance work is carried out by local people using materials purchased locally. We encourage guests to visit and try the local cuisine and purchase local goods wherever we go in order to get a taste of the local culture and also support the local community. Under the guidance of our experienced biologist, people are introduced to tens of endemic species, both from the animal and plant kingdoms which exist only in this small corner of the globe. Guests will leave with a different approach towards wildlife and aware of the dangers they face and how to minimise them. We organise visits at the two national marine parks in Greece, in Zakynthos and Alonisos, where the two most important organisations for the protection of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta and the Mediterranean monk seal Monachus monachus are based. Our guests are briefed on their work and how they can support them.  During our whale and dolphin spotting, the voices of mammals will be recorded with the aid of our hydrophone and notes will be made on their characteristics in order to help scientists with their collection of data. Our guests are welcome to participate. We organise marine ecology seminars for divers and present a brief version of this to every diver that joins us. This involves a briefing on how to monitor the level of anthropogenic impact on a marine site and warn our scientist of any deterioration they observe. We try to minimise the impact of our boat on the marine environment by using the motor as little as possible, mainly just to enter and leave the port. When mooring we avoid throwing the anchor on meadows of sea grass. We always use permanent moorings when provided. We’ve allowed space in the sailing boat to store waste plastics especially bottles. As there is no drinking water available in the Greek islands, there is a huge consumption of bottled water. We store all the plastic in the capital of Syros, Ermoupolis and we take it back to Athens at the end of the season for recycling. |
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