International Cetacean Sanctuary

The Island of Elba and the other islands of the Tuscan Archipelago are the heart of the International Whale Sanctuary, an international marine protected area established in 1999 through an agreement between Italy (where the Sanctuary for Marine Mammals was established in 1991 as a Protected Marine Natural Area), France, and the Principality of Monaco.

The Pelagos Sanctuary (as it is called in France) forms a tripartite management area in a coastal and offshore territory that is considered a "large-scale ecosystem" of significant scientific, socio-economic, cultural, and educational interest.

Thanks to the considerable richness of plankton and pelagic life, the area of the International Sanctuary for Marine Mammals is indeed a suitable habitat for the reproduction and feeding needs of Mediterranean cetaceans: Common Baleen Whales, Sperm Whales, Striped Dolphins, Risso’s Dolphins, Grampus, Bottlenose Dolphins, Beaked Whales, and Common Dolphins, as well as the Mediterranean Manta, Marine Turtles, and the Monk Seal, which seemed to be extinct.

In the waters of the Tuscan islands, it is not difficult to spot dolphins and baleen whales. On the Island of Elba, these wonderful encounters have increased in recent years, and during the summer period, boat trips and excursions are organized specifically for cetacean sightings.

The International Sanctuary for Marine Mammals is a marine area of about 87,500 km² in the northern Tyrrhenian Sea, extending from Provence to Sardinia, and up to Tuscany: land references include Pointe Escampobariou in France, Capo Falcone and Capo Ferro in northern Sardinia, and Fosso Chiarone in Tuscany.

The Sanctuary covers 124 French municipalities (between the French Riviera and Corsica), 87 Italian municipalities (in Liguria, Tuscany, and northern Sardinia), and 1 in the Principality of Monaco.

The agreement, which came into effect on February 21, 2002, aims to promote concrete and harmonized activities between the three signatory countries for the protection of cetaceans and their natural environment.

This goal is pursued through the following actions:

• intensification of activities against pollution from any source that may impact marine mammals and their habitats;
• gradual elimination of toxic discharges from land-based sources;
• prohibition of intentional captures or disturbances of marine mammals;
• regulation or prohibition of motorized competitions;
• compliance with EU regulations on fishing;
• regulation of whale watching tourism activities.

The signatory countries commit to promoting scientific research programs and awareness campaigns, particularly regarding the prevention of collisions between ships and marine mammals and the reporting of distressed specimens.

Finally, on the international level, they commit to requesting the inclusion of the sanctuary in the ASPIM list (Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance), inviting third-party countries to adopt protection measures in similar areas, and communicating the text of the agreement internationally.

Download the informational material from the Tuscan Biodiversity Observatory »