Costa Balenae's team Find out more about us

Our incredible team 

Our 20 year experience in the marine biology field allows us to provide our customers with high quality educational information. Our passion and strong respect for nature and its inhabitants is at the base of our business.

we are...

  • professional
  • guardians of the environment 
  • Strongly motivated
  • friendly  
  • prepared and passionated
  • capable and experienced

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Sponsor
and Supporters

Become our sponsor and help us preserve our beautiful sea However small, your contribution can help us fulfil our mission find out how

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Team Member President

Barbara Nani 

Graduated in 1965 in Natural Sciences, she’s an eclectic environmental excursions guide, who apart from her passion for the sea and cetaceans; which have in 1996 brought her to found the first whale watching company in Italy, she also occupies herself with environmental education and formation. She is the co-foundress and president of the Costa Balenae cooperative, a cooperative based upon her thoughts for the future of Zoe (her daughter) and all other children who tomorrow will be living on Planet Earth, and who today should learn how to respect and love it.

Team Member Vice President

Marco Ballardini 

Marco Ballardini, is the vice president and administrator of Costa Balenae, he graduated in Biological Sciences and then obtained a Masters in Resource Conservation and Management at the University in Pavia. He takes care of ecotourism and of Whale Watching in Liguria since 1997. He has participated in several scientific research capaigns on Cetaceans in European seas, in the Atlantic Ocean and in Australia. He is also the co-author of several publications dedicated to Cetaceans.

Team Member Secretary

Patrizia Patti

Associate foundress of Costa Balenae, biologist, mother and passionate about photography and scuba diving (III grade FIPS). A lover of nature in all its forms, even in the sea has always been my ‘breath’. For the past several years I take care of the website and social media. I collaborate with a theatrical company which brings environmental and pollution related events to schools. This I find to be a different way towards educating about the environment and to attract and involve the new generations. I’m a headstrong, creative dreamer. Costa Balenae is a dream come true.

Team Member Associate founder

Giuseppe Zolesi

Giuseppe Zolesi, graduated in 1959 in Biological Sciences, is the associate founder of the Costa Balenae Cooperative. He’s a Science teacher, and has worked as a researcher at the University in Parma from 1984 to 1987. He’s passionate about Marine Biology, Cetology, Ethology and Ecology. He’s worked as a Nature Guide from 1995 to 2002. Does Scuba Diving and is also the author of several texts and articles on Marine Biology and Ethology. He’s also worked as the assistant supervisor on University Theses on Dolphin Therapy.

Team Member Associate founder

Silvia Trucco 

Silvia Trucco born in 1981, graduated in Biological and Natural Sciences, is an associate co-foundress of the Costa Balenae Cooperative . Associate and collaborator since 2004 of the Cooperative Strade, in Liguria, which takes care, of ecotourism and environmental education. She takes care of environmental education (for all schools and forms) as well as being an environmental excursional guide (with permission to work in the province of Savona). She is also an advanced level scuba diver (II level - 30 mtrs) - PSS School. She is passionate about Ornithology, Herpetology, Ecology, Ethology and is a scholar particularly of Marine Biology, of Cetology and the Ligurian territory.

Team Member Associate

Davide Ascheri

Davide Ascheri, born in 1992, has graduated in Biological Science at the University of Genoa ( Italy). Son of a captain, sailing instructor, scuba diver and ski instructor he has had a great passion for the sea and all its animals since he was a child. Because of his great interest in cetaceans, he took part in some research projects in Alaska and Spain and he wrote his graduation thesis about the distribution of the Fin whale and Sperm whale of the Ligurian Sea. He has been participating , for years, as spotter in whale watching activities in front of the town of Imperia and Sanremo inside the International Sanctuary of Cetaceans "Pelagos".

Team Member Associate

Elena Fontanesi

Despite her provenience from the Pianura Padana, she has been passionate about the sea and its creatures since she was a child. Scuba diver instructor since 2013, she got her Masters’ Degree in Marine Biology at the University of Bologna, after spending a year in Tasmania studying dwarf minke whales. She collaborated with several cetaceans’ research groups in Sardinia, Ischia and in Queensland. Her passion for nature and wildlife, lead her to a great interest in photography. Collaborating with Costa Balenae she aims to spread the interest in oceans’ conservation.

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