THE SISO PROJECT

THE PROJECT

Scientific divulgation, environmental education and protection of the sea are the pillars at the base of the project.

SISO

Siso the Sperm Whale was a young, ten metre long, male that in the summer of 2017 was caught by his flukes in an illegal fishing net off the Aeolian Islands. Despite the intense efforts of the Coast Guards, who managed to partially liberated him from the fishing net, Siso unfortunately died, after a long and painful agony.

His body was carried by the currents to the shores of Capo Milazzo, where the young Biologist Carmelo Isgrò, under the auspices of the Museum of Fauna of the University of Messina, stripped about 10 tons of meat, from the putrid water in which the Sperm whale was half-submerged, with the purpose of recovering the bones. During this operation, he also extracted a great deal of plastic from the stomach of the cetacean, including a black gardening pot and several plastic bags. 
The day after the recovery, one of the friends who had helped the biologist in the operations, Francesco, was tragically killed in an accident on his scooter. Carmelo thus decided to name the sperm whale “Siso”, the nickname by which Francesco was affectionately known to his friends.
Today, after a long process of cleaning and treatment, the skeleton of the Sperm whale is finally ready to be mounted and exhibited to the public.

THE PROJECT

The idea is to rebuild the skeleton of the Sperm whale and display it by suspending it in the air with cables, repositioning the illegal fishing net that killed him and the plastic that was found in his stomach. The aim is to raise awareness so that the tragedy of Siso the sperm whale can lead to a moment of reflection and growth for everyone, both adults and children.
We will not allow his death to have been in vain, or his memory to disappear into into oblivion. Everyone must know what has happened, especially the new generations, so that such deaths are no longer repeated . We shall rebuild the skeleton and give it a second life by displaying it in a museum!

The funds raised will be used to purchase:

  • the materials necessary to rebuild the sperm whale skeleton (steel structure, cables, adhesives, etc.);
  • appropriate lighting with which to illuminate the skeleton and the room;
  • the preparation of a modern exhibition hall with explanatory panels and interactive supports (touch screen monitor, projectors, etc.);
  • the preparation of a conference room that will be made with recycled material,
  • a sound system that will reproduce the whale song and the amplification of the conference room.

Your name, along with all those who contribute, will be permanently displayed in the museum and on the website. Each supporter will also have the opportunity to take advantage of a “guided tour” inside the museum. The companies or, in general, the most generous donors will be given exposure in proportion to the size of the
donation. Updates to the work will be posted on the website dedicated to the project and the donations received will be published together with the expenses incurred for the realization of the project, to ensure maximum transparency.
Scientific dissemination, environmental education and protection of the sea are the pillars at the base of the project.
To achieve these goals, we need your support … if you do not want Siso’s death to be in vain and believe in this project … support it!
Help us with the amount you can … every penny can make the difference!

we are grateful to Prof. Tony Harris for help with the traslation