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Whale watching cruise with Barbascura X and WWF researcher - Pontine and Flegree Islands

Italy:

Pontine Islands

Duration:

4 days - 4 nights

Max number of spots:

8

Available:

-

Boarding from:

Ischia

What's included

Cancellation policy

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Organised by:

WWF Travel

Member since 2020 -

Organisation

English

Italian

This experience, in a nutshell

WWF TRAVEL SEARCH CRUISES: WHALE WATCHING BUT NOT ONLY!



WWF Travel offers a cruise on a sailing boat where travelers will be involved in WWF scientific research activities for the protection of the Mediterranean megafauna. A sea and navigation experience accompanied by WWF researchers , where you can learn to observe, identify and protect, with strictly non-invasive methods, the cetaceans of our seas.

For travelers it will be an opportunity to enjoy naturalistic and marine beauties , to have fun in the most beautiful seas of the Mediterranean and at the same time to develop skills of great scientific interest such as:

naturalistic photography techniques and photo-identification techniques

monitoring methodologies

behavior sampling techniques

• use of research instruments : GPS, navigation software, binoculars with reticles, video camera and BORIS software for the acquisition of surface behavioral data.

The atmosphere that reigns on the boat is serene and informal and all the people on board will be involved in the activities on board (such as cooking, keeping the boat in order, ...) , in order to preserve the spirit of sharing that characterizes this type of holidays. The daily activities, in agreement with the skipper and the researcher, will be modulated and variable according to the weather and sea conditions and the identification of itineraries that lend themselves extemporaneously to scientific research. For this as a crew we will need to be flexible and to understand that working with animals in nature is not 100% planned. Sometimes the observations of cetaceans will require more prolonged navigations in order to make an observation. But this is precisely the beauty of a cruise that has a scientific research component!

WHY CHOOSE WWF TRAVEL?

1) RESPONSIBLE TOURISM : we are among the founding members of AITR, the Italian Association of Responsible Tourism; for us, making a trip means first of all implementing all good practices aimed at respecting the environment , local communities and supporting the protection of biodiversity;
2) COMPETENCE and KNOWLEDGE : we give enormous value to competence in fact the WWF researchers all come from naturalistic training courses, but above all they have a very clear objective, that is to give depth to the emotions experienced on board and ensure that your wealth of knowledge is much heavier when returning from an experience with WWF, enriching with details every moment lived in search of the inhabitants of the sea.
3) FUN AND PLEASURE : we never forget that we are talking about holidays. We want to get to know the nature that surrounds us better, but we want to do it by enjoying the beauty of the places we are visiting and appreciating the pleasure of sharing the experience with our travel companions in a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere .

PLACES AND ITINERARY

We will leave Ischia to experience a holiday discovering the Gulf of Naples. Our itinerary will be mainly between the islands of Ischia and Procida : we will immerse ourselves in their beauties, stopping in the most enchanting bays, such as the Corricella bay, immortalized in Massimo Troisi's masterpiece, Il Postino. It will be a holiday dedicated to outdoor life and contact with nature. During the week, with a little more navigation, we can also reach Ventotene, Ponza and Palmarola : they are islands of extraordinary beauty, where you can enjoy the sea undisturbed in absolute peace and relaxation.
We will decide the exact itinerary based on the weather conditions and the indications of the skipper and the WWF expert.

Do you want to get excited with little? Fun and healthy life on the boat are also waiting for you, including aperitifs, dinners under the stars and swimming in natural pools, respecting the environment, with new and old friends.

OUR SKIPPER

Mario B. will be on board this experience: click on his name to read the reviews he has received from travelers.
Mario is described by his traveling companions as a profound connoisseur of the sea, always attentive to the safety of his guests, and available to teach some basic sailing skills to those who wish. A lover of culture, history and the charm of his land, he will always be able to recommend an excellent restaurant to taste the typical flavors of Campania.


NOTE : during this experience video footage will be made and photographs will be taken. By proceeding with the booking of this experience, you accept that your image may appear in photographs and video content disseminated through the social channels of Barbascura X, WWF Travel or Sailsquare.

To participate in this experience you will be required to show the Green Pass, or a negative swab certificate carried out in the 24 preceding boarding. A quick swab is also sufficient, which can be done in the pharmacy, with results in 15/20 minutes.

No Departures available

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9+

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Boat & Classes of Service

Bavaria 44 - 2002

Type

Sailboat

Length

13.9 m.

Toilets

2

Cabins

4

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7+

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Our itinerary

Our trip starts here:

Ischia.

Check-in: 12:00 PM

Our trip ends here:

Ischia.

Check-out: 9:00 AM

What's included in the price

Boat equipment and facilities

    Final cleaning

Onboard staff

    Skipper

Insurances

    Accident insurance

Other services

    Trainer

What you'll have to pay during the experience

Below are the additional expenses you will incur during the experience.

Common Fund

€150 - €200 Per person

    Galley

    Mooring fees

    Fuel (boat/tender)

What's NOT included in the price

Below are the services that are not included in the price of the experience, including any available optional services that you may pay directly to the organiser (we advise you to inform the organiser prior to departure in case you wish to purchase such services and arrange the payment terms directly with him).

Excluded

    Meals/drinks consumed ashore

    Flights or Transfers from/to the destination

The organiser reviews

avatar image

Organised by:

WWF Travel

Member since 2020 -

Organisation

English

Italian

4.7/5

out of

282

reviews

Skipper

Boat

Destination

Whale watching cruise with WWF guide between Northern Corsica and the Tuscan Archipelago

08/25/2026

Lorenzo M.

-

IT

Unfortunately, this experience was decidedly negative and far below expectations. Due to bad weather, which was already expected in the days before departure, we were forced to interrupt navigation after about three and a half days, compared to the six days of navigation scheduled in the program. We fully understand the need to change the itinerary for safety reasons, but we have found that, in such a situation, there is no real alternative program: once back in port, the remaining days were left without organized activities. Furthermore, the management of security is particularly serious. During our entire stay on board, we were never given a briefing on emergency procedures, nor were we explained the position and methods of use of life jackets. This was particularly worrying when we faced a storm on the open sea on the second day of sailing. Even the equipment for research and observation activities is not standardized between the different vessels. In our case, we only had a camera and binoculars at our disposal, while other boats in the program had additional instrumentation. This obviously involves very different experiences depending on the boat assigned. In addition, despite the fact that in some moments the weather conditions allowed it, we never had the opportunity to sail, since the co-skipper gave up participation the evening before departure and, as we were told, his absence made this activity impossible. Finally, I also found the skipper's attitude towards the participants inadequate: on several occasions the manners were rough and not very courteous, not up to par, in my opinion, with a professionally organized experience aimed at paying customers. Overall, it is an experience whose success is intimately linked to luck, and not to the preparation of the organizers, even if emblazoned such as Sailsquare and WWF.

Whale watching cruise with WWF guide between Northern Corsica and the Tuscan Archipelago

08/23/2026

Fabrizio r.

-

IT

Positive experience for the nice group of people and for the atmosphere created on board. With reference to the scientific and cetacean observation part, due to the adverse weather the original program has been modified and in the routes we have made the sightings have been practically zero unfortunately
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Whale watching cruise with WWF guide between Liguria and the French Riviera

08/20/2026

Giuseppe G.

-

IT

Beautiful experience, I can only recommend it for those who want to experience the sailboat and experience the thrill of sightings as well as life on board. Andrea was very helpful and explained to us in an exhaustive way the life of cetaceans and the reason for this experience. Experienced skipper and help on sightings. The boat needs to be reviewed in general as maintenance and undersized for the number of crew on board, the only flaw (unfortunately)

Whale watching cruise with WWF guide between Liguria and the French Riviera

08/18/2026

Viola C.

-

IT

Extraordinary experience, excellent company, full of emotions! Returned home with some more knowledge very satisfied!

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