Journal of the eightyfourth day on board

25th July, 1999

The bank of sharks

The second phase of the expedition is coming to an end. The Mission, however, is not over because immediately after the August holiday there will be two more very interesting phases.

The latest news is this: I believe I have finally located “the bank of sharks”, an area around Lampedusa.

This stretch of sea, in which I hope to soon dive and which I will shortly speak to you about, could be one of the few places in the Mediterranean where you can find, with any regularity, sharks (care should be attached at this point because sharks are by nature solitary wanderers).

For sure also in Libya, Turkey and Greece there are stretches of sea populated frequently by sharks, but these waters are very far from Italy and the sharks there are above all grey sharks (Carcharhinus plumbeus). There's nothing much to add about grey sharks. Although in certain moments of the expedition we would have been satisfied with seeing an honest grey shark (even a dogfish under the boat would have raised a smile) I have to say that Mission Sharks was born out of a need to look for bigger and more spectacular fish and above all those swimming near Italian waters.

What sharks?

Till tomorrow.