In recent years, a peculiar phenomenon has been observed in the Gulf of Trieste, a case unique in the entire Mediterranean. Large groups of bull rays (known locally as vaccarelle), among the biggest eagle rays in the Mediterranean, are being sighted with increasing frequency in the coastal waters off Trieste.
It is a new development that over the past three years has reached a significant scale, even though this was a species already present in the Mediterranean Sea and recorded for years.
“In recent years sightings have become steady, around one a week in the summer season,” says Saul Ciriaco, head of monitoring activities for WWF Miramare Marine Protected Area (MPA) and vice‑president of the Shoreline cooperative.
“This is the first year in which we have recorded a high number of animals grouped together, with aggregations reaching as many as 50 individuals. That, as well as the frequency, is what makes it distinctive,” Ciriaco adds, noting that these aggregations are thought to be linked to feeding, but also to reproduction, as males and females come into contact.
The phenomenon has undoubtedly aroused the interest of researchers and marine enthusiasts, as this is a rare protected species, but at the same time it is becoming a problem for local mussel farms, since mussel lines have become an easy source of food that attracts these animals.
