Today we choose to tell the story of ‘Codamozza’ (or Fluker), a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) recognisable because it had already lost part of its tail fin before 1996 and has been tracked over the years thanks to photo identification in the Mediterranean.
Between late summer 2019 and 2020, a second serious event led to the complete loss of his tail. Despite this, “Codamozza” crossed the Mediterranean for months: researchers reconstructed a path of at least 7,000 km.
His story reminds us that these giants are as majestic as they are vulnerable: dozens of cases of large whales with amputations (including individuals completely without tails) have been documented in literature.
Possible causes of such serious injuries include collisions and interactions with fishing gear, which exert significant pressure on large cetaceans.
As CRIMAC – Calabria Marine Centre of the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station, we support activities for the conservation and protection of marine and coastal species and habitats, and we share this story to keep attention focused on the anthropogenic pressures affecting large cetaceans in the Mediterranean.
