Rorqual Project - EDMAKTUB

EDMAKTUB is a non-profit organization based in Barcelona, especially dedicated to the search of cetaceans and to the scientific study and the dissemination of water environment topics. EDMAKTUB activities have the support of the Biodiversity Foundation, that belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, as well as of the Club Nàutic Vilanova and the Barcelona Zoo Foundation.

EDMAKTUB aims to deepen the knowledge of the marine fauna, disseminate it, raise awareness of the need of the conservation of the marine environment and improve the research protocols, defining new techniques and methodologies that become more effective and less disturbing for animals.

This association implements the rorqual project from its base at the Club Nàutic Vilanova. From February to June, the Catalan coast experiences an extraordinary phenomenon that, although reported by local fishermen for decades, has been, so far, almost unknown to  researchers: the presence of common rorquals. Scientifically known as Balaenoptera physalus, the common rorqual is a whale that can be up to 24 meters long. Thus, it is the largest species that roams the Mediterranean. It is a spectacular and intelligent animal, of which little is known. It is also a protected and endangered species. The rorqual project is carried out with a double objective: disseminating the knowledge about the presence of this whale in our coasts and promoting its preservation.