Hi everyone!
My name is Ludovico, and I’m going to tell you about my wonderful experience in Imperia, full of beautiful activities.
I’m from a small town near Milan but currently studying conservation biology at the University of Plymouth in the UK.
This summer, I stayed in Imperia for a month, as an intern for Delfini Del Ponente, studying cetaceans, birds, and sea turtles in the Northern Ligurian sea.
Here I experienced several different aspects of the research project: during field days we stayed on a boat surveying the sea to collect ecological and behavioural data on cetaceans and other marine fauna, while during office days we primarily analysed photos of bottlenose dolphins to identify them and evaluate any possible skin lesion. In the office we also did data transcription and followed lectures on marine biology and oceanography, essentially focused on the Mediterranean Sea.
There is a lot to do on days off too! Just 10 minutes away from the house, I have seen many different sea species while doing snorkelling at “Le Ratteghe”, a marine park located on a great area covered by Posidonia, an endemic sea-plant endemic to the Mediterranean Sea, which hosts a variety of sea species.
If you want to see the underwater world from up-close, there are two very biodiverse areas where you can scuba dive: “La secca di Santo Stefano” and “Isola Gallinara”, a beautiful, protected island off the coast between Alassio and Albenga. Here I’ve seen many moray eels, beautiful sea fans, sea stars, colourful fish and especially nudibranchs!
I also enjoyed running along the “Ciclovia del Ponente”, a 29 km long bike and pedestrian lane located almost at the edge of the coast, with a never-ending stunning view!
Ludo.