|
The mistery of cetaceans sanctuary in the mediterranean revealed
There
is an area in the Mediterranean - a triangle - that Cetaceans seem
to have decided it is a good place to live in. They were once thought
to be only passing through and to have entered the dead Mediterranean
waters by mistake after going off course. Prof. Francesco Conterno
Clicca qui per la versione italiana Return to Home page For any question or comments of this site contact: fconterno@it.lati.com Giugno 1999 • All rights reserved. Privacy |
June
is when they can easily be seen within a triangular area between La
Spezia, Corsica and San Remo. Dolphins and Whales crowd this ecological
paradise where Krill and Plankton appear mysteriously. The European
experts, that cannot believe their luck to have such an important
place so near, call it "THE SANCTUARY".
The cause of this marine phenomenon is unknown, but it is clearly
due to an underwater river. Fed by the waters that the Alps have collected
during the winter, an enormous blade of cold sweet water flows under
the Ligurian region and through the faults of the northern coast of
Italy to flow into the Tyrrhenian Sea. 
These waters are abundant in June do
to the melting snow has now completely melted. Rich in mineral salts
they encounter the hot and salty waters of the Mediterranean, exchange
ions, and develop bacteria and precious plankton. A perfect dwelling
for cetaceans . According to the S. C. University, USA, the mass of
submarine rivers is much larger than that of surface rivers flowing
into the oceans. 
It has been calculated that the mass
of water springing from beneath the ocean floor is five times as much
that of surface rivers. In Europe, these waters can "regenerate"
the Mediterranean Sea that was believed to be dead because it is closed.
There is an enormous river instead that collects the waters from the
Alp massif and finds its way underground to flow in the northern part
of the Tyrrhenian Gulf causing a particular turbulence in the neighboring
seas. We call it NECTILUS (submarine nectar) because it represents
life for Whales: food and water. Otherwise, how could marine mammals
drink if it were not for such springs of sweet water under the sea,
especially in the salty Mediterranean? Whales dive to drink water
from these springs and to feed on the plankton. 
Whales cubs get
enough water from their mother's milk, but then look for sweet water
as they grow. They suck as much water as they can then store it as
camels do even better, because their huge bodies have enough room.
The Ligurian triangle provides everything Cetaceans need: drinking
water from the Nectilus, and enough food grown in the wide submarine
estuary by the Alp River. No surprise then, that Cetaceans elected
this area as their home.