Cetaceans

Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruloealba)

Length: 1.8 - 2.5 m
Weight: 110 - 170 kg
Life span: > 50 years
Feeding habits: mainly fish and squid, but also octopus and crustaceans
Habitat: pelagic species, in resident populations
Status (Medit. Sea.): most common in the Greek Seas , as well as in the entire Mediterranean Sea but is in decline
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (assessed in 2008) - despite mortality due to direct and incidental takes in many parts of the world, there is no evidence of a major global decline.

Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

Length: 1.9-2.9m
Weight: 150-300 kg
Life span: > 50 years
Feeding habits: demersal fish, cephalopods and sometimes crustaceans
Habitat: coastal and pelagic; coastal groups in resident populations
Status (Medit. Sea.): in decline, but big differences between sub-populations
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (assessed in 2008) - Although there are many threats operating on local populations, the species is relatively widespread and abundant.

Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis)

Length: 1.7 - 2.4 m
Weight: 70 - 135 kg
Life span: > 30 years
Feeding habits: schooling fish and cephalopods
Habitat: Mostly pelagic species, but also in coastal waters
Status (Medit. Sea.): despite their name, many populations have shown drastic declines in last decades, with the last Aegean population being located within the Samos bay region
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (assessed in 2008) - Despite ongoing threats to local populations, the species is widespread and abundant

Risso’s Dolphin (Grampus griseus)

Length: 2.6 - 3.8 m
Weight: 300 – 600 kg
Life span: > 30 years
Feeding habits: mainly squid, also fish
Habitat: prefers continental slope waters with steep relief
Status (Medit. Sea.): no population estimates exist, but generally considered as scarce
IUCN Red List Status: Least concern (assessed in 2008) - Despite ongoing threats to local populations, the species is widespread and abundant

Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)

Length: male 16 - 18 m / female 8 - 12 m
Weight: male 57,000 kg / female 24,000 kg
Life span: > 60 years
Feeding habits: mesopelagic cephalopods (giant squid), some demersal fish (e.g. rays)
Habitat: pelagic species, especially along the continental slope
Status (Medit. Sea.): fewer than 2500 adult individuals, numbers declining
IUCN Red List Status: Vulnerable (assessed in 2008) - globally widespread but the cause in reduction of species is reversible

Cuviers Beaked Whale (Ziphius cavirostris)

Length: 5.1 - 6.9 m
Weight: 2,000 - 3,000 kg
Life span: > 60 years
Feeding habits: mainly deep-sea cephalopods, but also fish
Habitat: pelagic species, often associated with deep slopes & canyons
Status (Medit. Sea.): in some parts relatively common, but for most areas data missing
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (assessed in 2008) – global trend or abundance data is unavailable but abundance >100,000

Occasional visitors

Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus)

Length: ~ 20 m
Weight: 40 - 50 tonnes
Life span: > 80 years
Feeding habits: fish, cephalopods and crustaceans
Habitat: pelagic species
Status (Medit. Sea.): regular throughout the western and central basins, rare in the Aegean Sea
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (assessed in 2008) – cause of species reductions (commercial whaling) is reversible but not currently in operation

Harbour Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena)

Length: 1.3 - 1.8 m
Weight: 50 - 90 kg
Life span: ~ 25 years
Feeding habits: wide variety of fish and cephalopods
Habitat: coastal and shallow offshore waters
Status (Medit. Sea.): population in the Black Sea, with rare migrations into the Aegean Sea
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern ( assessed in 2008) - facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild

Pinniped

Mediterranean Monk Seal (Monachus monachus)

Length: 2 - 3 m
Weight: 300 - 350 kg
Life span: >45 years
Feeding habits: Demersal fish and cephalopods
Habitat: Coastal species, encountered in uninhabited islets and rocky shores (in regions difficult to approach)
Status (Medit. Sea.): Used to be found in the whole of the Mediterranean but is now limited to the eastern Mediterranean basin and North-west African coast. Total population is estimated to be about 500 individuals.
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (assessed in 2008) – small, fragmented population structure, extremely sensitive to human disturbance

Sea Turtles

Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)

Length: 1.0 - 1.5m
Weight: ~300kg
Life span: 30 - 62 years
Feeding habits: Demersal fish, crustaceans and cephalopods
Habitat: pelagic, coastal & terrestrial – only come ashore to nest
Status (Medit. Sea.): throughout Mediterranean but uncommon. Key nesting sites in Greece, Cyprus & Turkey
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (assessed in 1996) – documentation on distribution, habitats and threats unavailable

Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)

Length: up to 1.5 m
Weight: ~200 kg
Life span: >80 years
Feeding habits: adults herbivorous - seagrass and algae. Juveniles known to each tunicates, small crustaceans and jellyfish
Habitat: pelagic, coastal & terrestrial – only come ashore to nest
Status (Medit. Sea.): extensive population declines
IUCN Red List Status: Endangered (assessed in 2004) – global population declines in all major ocean basins over the last three generations

Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

Length: up to 3 m
Weight: ~ 400 kg
Life span: 30+ years
Feeding habits: jellyfish, tunicates and cephalopods
Habitat: pelagic, coastal & terrestrial – only come ashore to nest
Status (Medit. Sea.): population declines – extent unknown
IUCN Red List Status: Critically Endangered (assessed in 2000) – rapid declines across global populations