Almost exactly ten years since we visited the Principality of Monaco with the original Song of the Whale, R/V Song of the Whale arrived in Monaco this weekend, at the invitation of the Prince Albert II Foundation. Berthed at the Yacht Club de Monaco, moored amongst the super yachts, Song of the Whale and team received His Serene Highness Prince Albert II aboard for a tour of the vessel and to brief His Highness on the current Mediterranean marine mammal survey about to begin in the Aegean Sea.
The SOTW team are currently collaborating with two Monaco based organisations, The Mediterranean Science Commission and ACCOBAMS. H.S.H. Prince Albert is actively involved in and a great advocate for marine conservation issues and took a close interest in the plans and objectives for our Mediterranean field season; visual and acoustic surveys of little studied waters of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean with a focus on sperm whale distribution and interactions with large vessel traffic and a survey for harbour porpoises in the Thracian sea.
An experienced sailor, Prince Albert was also keen to tour the “new” SOTW and see how our research techniques have evolved along with our living conditions since the last visit.
Over the weekend, the Prince Albert II Foundation also hosted the Monaco Blue Initiative in partnership with the Oceanographic Institute. Members of the SOTW team attended the conference which was held in the spectacular setting of the Oceanographic museum. This was a great opportunity to meet with numerous other ocean advocates and conservationists from around the World.
Sorry, comments are closed for this post.