Italy - Pelagos: The Cetacean Sanctuary

"The Sanctuary includes marine areas within both inland waters and territorial waters (twelve mile zone) of France, Italy and the Principality of Monaco. It also includes the neighbouring high seas. The Italian regions involved are: Liguria, Sardinia and Tuscany.

The portion of basin between Liguria and Provence have been known since the ancient time to be the home for many species of whales and other marine fauna. The protected area accounts for about 100.000 km2 of international waters between Tolone (France), Capo Falcone (West-Sardinia) and Fosso Chiarore (Tuscany). Nowadays, it is possibile to navigate through this area to study the marine protected species. The natural wealth of this area have inspired by Prince Ranieri III of Monaco, in the autumn of 1970, the creation of a pilot zone aiming to combat marine pollution in this Mediterranean area renowned for its climate that attracts a large amount of tourists as a pleasant place for holidays." Source: UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Multiview of Riviera Ligure with picture of the whales living in this Cetacean Sanctuary. Thanks to Irene of Italy.