Watching a 20-ton sperm whale launch its entire body out of the water is one of the most extraordinary sights the sea can offer. Although sperm whales breach only occasionally, we observe this behaviour from time to time, mainly during periods of intense social activity. These spectacular leaps are thought to be closely linked to communication and the strengthening of social bonds.

The North Ikaria Trench is one of the most remarkable – and least explored – marine environments in the Mediterranean. For the past 26 years, the Archipelagos Institute has been carrying out systematic research in this region, and we are continuing this work at sea as we speak.

From the deep waters reaching 1,400 metres, to the inaccessible coral habitats of Fourni and the surface waters where whales and dolphins thrive, every research expedition reminds us just how much there is still to discover in the Aegean Sea.

It is here that we continue to document the presence of sperm whales in one of the Mediterranean’s most important habitats for this endangered species. Despite its exceptional international ecological significance, this area remains relatively little known, largely because of the extremely challenging sea conditions that prevail throughout much of the year – particularly in the straits between Mykonos and Ikaria, and between Ikaria, Samos, and Fourni.

Even after many  thousands of research surveys, every day at sea brings new discoveries – and a deeper appreciation of just how extraordinary, and how vulnerable, the Aegean Sea truly is.