Trekking in Golfo Aranci

Trekking in Golfo Aranci

Usually we take a day off on Sunday and if the weather conditions are adequate and we have extra energy ;) we like to have a trekking day (after a week at sea the best way of disconnect is doing a trekking itinerary).

Our study area in Golfo Aranci contains wonderful, almost untouched hills terrain and coastal land. It can be compared to a marvellous transatlantic ship ready to take to sea but that has been held up in the shipyard. Depending on the side or area you want to explore, you will come across hills (Capo Figari and Monte Ruju), grassland, rocks, valleys, forests, beaches and fantastic cliffs. All this amazing variety can be seen in Golfo Aranci area itself. Om a clear day you can see the fantastic mountains of Corsica.

The isolated conditions so typical of an island have led to a number of species and subspecies of animal and insect life that can only be found in Sardinia. The Papilio hospiton butterfly, for example, is on the list of endangered Italian butterflies. There are a number of native species of reptiles, mammals (as mouflons, Sardinian fox, wild boar, etc) and abundant birdlife (several species of Falco, hawks, Passeriformes and marine birds).

See you,

First day of work in Golfo Aranci denominated "Stranded day"

Dear friends,

to work in the field with wild animals in the field means to be a little different than "normal" people, many individuals would love to stay at home more days during their X-mas holidays but we were excited to come back to Golfo Aranci and re-start our work.

Last Sunday night we came back to Golfo Aranci and yesterday (Monday 05th) we started our first day of work. This day was really busy and strange, the first thing to do was to check our research vessels and then talk with the local people to be updated about the general situation. When we arrived to the harbour to check the Spartana the people told us that the day before a dead bottlenose dolphin was found in the Gulf, but our big surprise was that the divers and guard coast collected the animal to show us and it was in a big box "in front of our boat"...

After a busy morning with the dead dolphin (a young female) during the afternoon we decided to go for a walk along the shoreline, after half an hour we found the second surpirse of the day a stranded sea turtle... A big animal of the species Caretta caretta 95cm long....

It is not very nice to start a new year with stranded animals but it is part of our work...I hope not more busy "stranded days" like yesterday during the next months...

Regards,