Marina Port Mahón supports sperm whale conservation by backing a scientific expedition

The association Tursiops has completed a new scientific expedition to study and conserve cetaceans in the waters of northern Menorca, with the support of Marina Port Mahón as a local collaborator and ally in marine biodiversity protection.

On August 3rd, the sailing vessel Irifi departed from Mallorca heading to the proposed Marine Protected Area “Northern Menorca Sperm Whale Breeding Zone.” Ten days and around 1,000 nautical miles later, the expedition arrived at Marina Port Mahón, where the Tursiops team shared the results of their observations and thanked Marina Port Mahón for its support in this work.

During the expedition, a total of 55 sperm whales were sighted, 51 of them in northern Menorca. These were part of social groups, meaning females with their calves and subadults, reinforcing the idea of the area’s ecological importance for the species. The largest group observed consisted of 13 animals.

Sperm whale social groups are mainly composed of females and their calves. Females remain in the group for life, while adult males leave and only return to reproduce. Females that can no longer breed stay in the group and help care for the young. During the first years of life, calves cannot dive and must learn to do so gradually, remaining at the surface where they are more exposed to collisions.

The remaining four individuals, found in northern Mallorca, were solitary males. These data confirm the value of the proposed Marine Protected Area “Northern Menorca Sperm Whale Breeding Zone.”

In addition to sperm whales, 48 sea turtles, 119 striped dolphins, and 10 bottlenose dolphins were also sighted.

The proposed Marine Protected Area “Northern Menorca Sperm Whale Breeding Zone,” put forward by the Tursiops Association, is currently under consideration for official designation by the state administration. It is a unique enclave of 3.5 million hectares with high ecological value for the survival of the Mediterranean sperm whale, a species classified as Endangered in our seas. Despite being a low-impact area, making it exceptional, some threats remain, such as collisions with vessels. Scars from boat interactions were detected in 10% of the individuals observed in 2025.

Tursiops works on each expedition to identify sperm whales through photographs of their tails, which serve as unique “fingerprints” for individual monitoring. With a life expectancy exceeding 70 years, protecting these animals is essential to ensure the health of the marine ecosystem.

Marina Port Mahón, as a reference port on the island, provides logistical support to the association and helps disseminate the results of each expedition, reinforcing its commitment to marine conservation and initiatives that promote the research and protection of vulnerable species in the Mediterranean, as well as public awareness.