Dolphin Watch Alliance

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Dolphin Watch Alliance
(DWA)
purpose Dolphin research and conservation, marine conservation
Chair: Angela Ziltener
Establishment date: 2011
Seat : Gossau SG , SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland 
Website: www.dolphinwatchalliance.org

The Dolphin Watch Alliance (DWA) is a non-profit , non-governmental organization committed to researching and protecting wild dolphins . The research and nature conservation organization active in Egypt is registered as an association in Switzerland , Canton St. Gallen . It supports the long-term research project Dolphin Watch Natural Underwater Science for the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops aduncus ) and the Care for Dolphins protection project in Hurghada in the Egyptian governorate of al-Bahr al-ahmar (as of March 2017). The project work led in the governorate of the Red Sea to the adoption of an official code of conduct for tourist dolphin watching tours and the establishment of two marine protected areas for the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins.

Projects

Dolphin Watch Natural Underwater Science

In October 2009, the long-term began research project Dolphin Watch Natural Underwater Science (DWNUS), shortly Dolphin Watch , under the direction of the biologist Angela Ziltener from the University of Zurich and in varying cooperation with international researchers from different universities and Dolphin Conservation organizations researching the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops aduncus ) in the Red Sea in the vicinity of Hurghada according to scientific criteria and requirements. The project is also supported by the Egyptian nature conservation organization HEPCA and technically supported by the Hurghada-based diving center of the Spiritual World Diving Federation (SWDF).

The following sub-projects / investigations are carried out in the context of the DWNUS with free-living Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins:

  • Selective self-rubbing behavior
  • Mating behavior and tactics of female dolphins (mating tactics)
  • Sleep behavior (sleeping behavior)
  • Studies of gastrointestinal parasites (gastrointestinal parasites)
  • Selbstreibverhalten of gorgonians (self-rubbing behavior on gorgonians)

In 2014, the first study on gastrointestinal parasite infestation in wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins was published in the following study:

  • Sonja Kleinertz, Carlos Hermosilla, Angela Ziltener et al .: Gastrointestinal parasites of free-living Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Northern Red Sea, Egypt . In: Parasitology Research . 113th vol., No. 4, April 2014, doi : 10.1007 / s00436-014-3781-4 , pp. 1405-1415 ( English , gastrointestinal parasites of free-living Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops aduncus ) in northern Red Sea, Egypt ').

The research project was the focus of the television documentary Adoptiert von Delfinen by nature filmmaker Ulf Marquardt ( Arte , Germany 2012, 45 min.) And was received in the TV documentary Hannes Jaenicke : Im Einsatz für Delfine ( ZDF , Germany 2016, 43 min.) .

Care for Dolphins

In September 2012, the Care for Dolphins awareness- raising project for dolphin protection in the Red Sea was founded. It promotes the conservation of the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins and environmental education in Egypt, and for this purpose informs locals and tourists about the needs of the dolphins living near Hurghada. Education seminars are held and information material distributed. It was founded against the background that swimming with wild dolphins became a mass tourist attraction in Hurghada and no trace of dolphin protection was recognizable. Up to 35 excursion boats drove daily to reefs, which are important retreats for the local dolphin populations. The dolphins were rounded up and chased and sometimes injured by the propellers of the boats.

In cooperation with Egyptian authorities and environmental protection organizations, a code of conduct for dolphin watching tours and a plan for the establishment of two protection zones in the northern Red Sea off Hurghada were drawn up as part of the program .

The code of conduct, which is based on DWNUS research, was declared binding by the Governor for the Red Sea , Major General and Minister Ahmed Abdullah, and has been applicable law since June 2013, which is enforced with controls and penalties by national park rangers and the coast guard. The Egyptian nature conservation organization HEPCA also patrols . As a result, the reefs most frequently visited by dolphin tour operators ( Fanous and Shaab el Erg , both off Hurghada) were closed for a month.

The establishment of the official protection zones, compliance with which is to be monitored by increased patrols by the rangers of the national park, was announced for September 2016. The protection zones are based on the research work of the project and include important resting places for the dolphins, which they go to sleep exhausted from the nightly hunt.

The project informs tour guides, guides and captains in particular about the new guidelines and would also like to bring them closer to nature and species protection.

Club structure

The Dolphin Watch Alliance is a non-profit association under Swiss law based in Gossau SG. The founding meeting took place on September 25, 2011. According to the association's statutes , the purpose of ethical and financial support is pursued for worldwide projects to research and protect wild dolphins.

The organs of the association are the general assembly, the board of directors and the auditors . The founder Angela Ziltener is the president of the voluntary six-member board (as of March 2017).

The association cooperates with other organizations that promote the protection of dolphins, such as the Society for the Rescue of Dolphins , OceanCare and HEPCA .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Heinz Krimmer: Research project: The dolphin whisperers . In: Atlantis , No. 1/2013, pp. 18-19, accessed April 1, 2017.
  2. ^ Dolphin Watch - Natural Underwater Science . Spiritual World Diving Federation website, accessed April 1, 2017.
  3. ↑ Projects . DWA website, accessed April 1, 2017.
  4. ↑ Tom Heise: Already seen: Adpotated by dolphins . In: Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung , May 28, 2013, accessed on April 1, 2017.
  5. ↑ TV documentary "Adoptiert von Delfinen" . In: Hörzu .com , May 27, 2013, accessed April 1, 2017th
  6. ↑ Adopted by dolphins . ARD.de, accessed on April 1, 2017.
  7. ↑ Hannes Jaenicke: In action for dolphins . ( Memento of the original from April 2, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ZDF .de, first broadcast on August 2, 2016 (video; 43 min.). @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.zdf.de
  8. ↑ Where masses of tourists attack dolphins . OceanCare website , accessed April 2, 2017.
  9. ↑ a b Phil Simha: Revolution for the dolphins . In: Unterwasser , No. 10/2013, pp. 78–83, accessed on April 1, 2017 (PDF).
  10. ↑ Unscrupulous dolphin tourism in Egypt endangers dolphins . Society for the rescue of dolphins e. V., September 29, 2014, accessed April 1, 2017.
  11. ↑ Dolphins in the Red Sea better protected from mass tourism! Society for the rescue of the dolphins V., August 15, 2016, accessed April 1, 2017.
  12. ↑ Code of conduct and protection zones are introduced . DWA website, accessed April 1, 2017.
  13. ↑ Articles of Association. "Dolphin Watch Alliance" association . Dolphin Watch Alliance, June 30, 2014, accessed April 1, 2017 (PDF).