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Monthly Archives: May 2026
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26-05-2026

Dolphin Day Returns to Piran for the 19th Time

Dolphin Day Returns to Piran for the 19th Time

Morigenos – Slovenian Marine Mammal Society cordially invites you to the 19th Dolphin Day, taking place on Saturday, 4 July 2026, from 2:00 PM onwards in Piran.
The aim of this traditional event is to bring the importance of protecting the marine environment and dolphins closer to the wider public – especially families and nature enthusiasts – in an engaging and accessible way, while also presenting the long-term research carried out by marine biologists in Slovenian waters.
The event is free of charge and offers an excellent opportunity to spend quality time by the sea. We warmly invite you to reserve the first Saturday in July and join us in celebrating life in the blue!
We sincerely thank the Municipality of Piran, the patron of the event, and Luka Koper, the event sponsor, for their support in helping create an event that connects people with the marine world and the importance of its conservation.
During the event, you will also have the opportunity to learn more about the SAMESEA project, funded by the Interreg IPA ADRION Programme. Through engaging demonstrations, interactive activities, and conversations with researchers, you will discover the richness of marine biodiversity, learn about dolphins and other sentinel Adriatic marine species, explore the challenges they face, and find out how each of us can contribute to their conservation and the protection of healthy marine ecosystems.
♦ Notice regarding the boat trip: Capacity is limited. The activity is not intended for organised groups, and reservations are not possible.
13-05-2026

International Whale and Dolphin Experts Return to Bled

International Whale and Dolphin Experts Return to Bled

Last week marked the end of a two-week meeting of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission (IWC), which took place in Bled, Slovenia. Held every two years, the meeting brings together around 150 leading international experts in biology, ecology and conservation of marine mammals and natural resources, and is regarded as one of the most important global events on whale and dolphin research and conservation.
Despite containing the word “whaling”, the work of the IWC today no longer focuses solely on issues related to whale hunting. Instead, the main focus is now on the research and conservation of whales and dolphins, as well as on finding solutions to modern threats faced by marine mammals worldwide — from underwater noise, entanglement in fishing gear and ship strikes to plastic pollution and the impacts of climate change. The Scientific Committee is the expert body that prepares scientific recommendations and advice for the International Whaling Commission. Among other things, it assesses the size and genetic diversity of cetacean populations worldwide and provides expert advice on the appropriateness of quotas for certain forms of whaling.
Dr. Tilen Genov from Morigenos also participated at the meeting, where he chaired the sub-committee on Environmental Concerns,which addresses chemical pollution, marine litter, diseases of whales and dolphins, underwater noise, climate change, habitat degradation, and responses to stranded cetaceans. The recommendations of the Scientific Committee will be discussed by the Commission at its regular meeting, which will take place in September 2026 in Hobart, Australia.
For Morigenos, participation in the work of the International Whaling Commission represents an important part of international cooperation and involvement in global discussions on the future of the oceans and the conservation of marine mammals.
07-05-2026

Morigenos’ participation at ECS 2026 in Dundee, Scotland

Morigenos’ participation at ECS 2026 in Dundee, Scotland

Nearly 800 marine mammal experts and students from institutions from different countries attended the 37th Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, held in Dundee, Scotland (UK), from 20 to 24 of April. The conference, titled “From Basics to Benefits”, highlighted the importance of connecting basic scientific knowledge to conservation outcomes for marine mammals and their environment, fostering expert discussion on key challenges and practical solutions. Our president, Dr. Tilen Genov, kicked-off the meeting with his welcoming message as the chairperson of ECS.

On photo: Elena Pazhenkova (DivjaLabs), Urška Kajtna (Morigenos), Shakira Quiñones (Morigenos)

Two of our researchers presented posters. Our researcher and PhD student, Urška Kajtna, presented a poster titled “Identifying common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) prey using photographs collected during focal follows”, which demonstrates a non-invasive approach to studying cetacean diet based on rare images of surface feeding events. While this method is insufficient in describing the overall diet of bottlenose dolphins, it can provide useful insights in a well-studied population. Her attendance at the conference and the presentation of the research was enabled by the Interreg IPA ADRION SAMESEA project.
Dr. Shakira Quiñones presented a poster titled: “Friendly transboundary collaboration enhances understanding of bottlenose dolphin movement ecology in the northern Adriatic Sea”, where she showed the results of our collaboration with Dolphin Biology and Conservation under the Interreg Italy-Slovenia SeaInsights project, reporting on the movement of our dolphins between Slovenia and Italy, and the overall population estimates.
Our team had a fantastic time in Dundee, and we are looking forward to next year’s ECS conference.

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SAMESEA project is co-funded by the European Union through the Interreg IPA ADRION programme. https://samesea.interreg-ipa-adrion.eu
The SeaInsights project is financed by the European Union as part of the Program VI-A Italy-Slovenia. https://www.ita-slo.eu/en/seainsights