There are several species of cetaceans in the area, which depending on the season of the year are easily spotted in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar, such as Common Dolphins, Striped Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins and Pilot Whales. Occasionally we may see killer whales, sperm whales or fin whales.
The activity of Fishing Tourism by the Lonja de Tarifa (Fisheries -OPP78-) offers the opportunity, in addition to getting to know the traditional fishing for bluefin tunaThe sighting of common species in the habitat of the Strait of Gibraltar, such as the different species of dolphins that swim in the waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea.
From the bow of a traditional fishing boat at the Fishing Tourism attraction, dolphins can be seen swimming at speeds of up to 16 knots (about 30 km per hour).
Overfishing can be a danger and a threat to their interaction with other species. In the case of the use of fixed gillnets and trammel nets, they can cause damage to larger species resulting in the animal being trapped and even force drowning.
Traditional live bait or longline (stone) fishing avoids the use of nets in its activity. In particular, in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar this type of fishing is practised by the fishermen of the port of Tarifa in their daily catches of bluefin tuna and bream “de la pinta”The fish are caught one by one and retrieved one by one with hook and line. This means that the interaction between traditional fisheries and other wildlife is limited to the coexistence of the species.
In the area of the Strait of Gibraltar different species of the dolphin family can be found:
- Common dolphin (Delphinus delphis)
The common dolphin is found mainly in the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with larger specimens in the latter reaching up to 2.70 metres in length. In the area of the Strait of Gibraltar it occurs mainly in the Alboran Sea and in large groups of up to 600 individuals. They migrate to the Strait of Gibraltar in search of food based on sardines, anchovies, sardinella and marlin, which are used as live bait for the traditional catch of bluefin tuna. They normally feed at night and rest during the day.
The common dolphin is easily distinguishable by its large thoracic volume and light colour throughout its torso.
The common dolphin, like all dolphins, always travels in a group and if any animal is found alone it has probably lost contact with its herd, so presumably that animal is in danger.
- Striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba)
Similar to other dolphin species with which it cohabits, the striped dolphin is easily distinguishable by its colouring and its smaller size of less than 2.20 metres. In this case, both males and females are not distinguished in height, and it is more difficult to distinguish between the sexes.
It is a very common species in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea, although it also occurs in the Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Here we see a group of striped dolphins sighted from a fishing boat during the Atún Rojo Rojo Fishing Tourism activity in Tarifa.
- Delfín Mular (Tursiops truncatus)
Its peculiar snout also makes it known as bottle-nosed dolphin or bottle-snouted dolphin. They are somewhat smaller and also swim in groups like the common dolphin and can mingle with them.
This species has a higher tolerance to life in captivity, which is why it is the best known in dolphinariums, films and television. At the beginning, they played a key role in raising public awareness and disseminating information on the environmental problems of dolphins, as they were accidental victims of bad fishing practices, especially those involving the use of net gear.
In addition to sightings of these cetacean species made possible by tourist fishing in Tarifa, the Tarifa Fish Market programmes specific actions so that the environmental impact of tuna fishing activity is minimised as much as possible.
We would like to clarify that from the fishing port of Tarifa, bluefin tuna is caught using traditional methods that do not involve the use of nets or encircling nets, trawling or the traditional traps (Almadraba) that are used from May to September in ports along the Atlantic coast. Tuna fishing is conducted all year round in Tarifa and tuna is caught using hook and line gear, either by live bait or by the stone longline technique. The use of one fishing technique or another will vary depending on the target tuna to be caught and the time of year: larger tuna swim in deeper waters and require the use of longline gear to catch them, while younger tuna swim in shallower waters and live bait is more commonly used in this regard.
This tuna caught with traditional hook and line gear, without massive methods and with minimal suffering in the catch, is identified in its traceability with the mark of Tarifa Bluefin Tuna (Atún Rojo Rojo).
In addition to these practices, other smaller species caught in the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar do require the use of nets, such as sardines and horse mackerel.
To this end, the fishing port of Tarifa has a protocol for action in the event that fishing activity interferes with the life of the dolphins so that the interaction does not cause harm to the animal.
Dolphins communicate with each other through a system of chirps and whistles, so they are able to echolocate their quarry: the sound bounces off the prey and information about its location, size and shape reaches them.
This is why the fishing interests of these species may coincide with those of fishermen in the Strait of Gibraltar, posing a threat that may lead to indicators of overfishing in the activity. As mentioned above, fixed gillnets and trammel nets in coastal areas are the most damaging to dolphins and can cause strangulation if they become entangled. When this happens, according to the current norms, it must be immediately released from the fishing gear in a careful way, trying to avoid stress and possible damage to the animal caught in an inappropriate way. Even if the catch is greater than 5 individuals, which is very rare indeed, you are obliged to stop fishing and force the fish back to port.
The species of dolphins that circulate in the Strait of Gibraltar are catalogued within the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), in such a way that lesser concernThe sighting of them as part of the Fishing Tourism adds a further incentive to this activity, which brings so much value tourism in the Tarifa area.
Blog created byFernando Toro Sánchez, Turism PhD (University of Seville)
