Biography

Carmelo Isgrò

Biologist
Founder and Director of the MuMa-Museum of the Sea of Milazzo. He recovered the skeleton of a 10-ton sperm whale later renamed SISO

Biologist and biochemist, member of the Technical Scientific Committee of the Museum of Fauna of the University of Messina, Carmelo collaborates with various universities, research bodies and associations.
For years he has been engaged in the protection of the sea and in the recovery of sea turtles in difficulty and beached cetaceans. In 2017 he carried out the recovery of the skeleton of a 10-ton sperm whale later renamed SISO, that died after being entangled in an illegal drift net in the waters of the Aeolian islands. The death of the marine mammal was well documented in the press due to the large amount of plastic found in its stomach.
After rebuilding the skeleton, Carmelo founded MuMa - the Museum of the Sea of ​​Milazzo, located in the ancient Castle. The Minister of the Environment, Sergio Costa, was at MuMa for a conference in Spring 2019.

Carmelo is an instructor for the following activities: sailing (Fiv), scuba diving (1 star Fipsas-Cmas), free diving Apnea (1 star Fipsas-Cmas), and is also a wine Sommelier (AIS).

Carmelo is also a hiking guide, author of a nature guide of the Cape of Milazzo book "Guida alla natura di Capo Milazzo", photojournalist, vice-champion of Italian underwater photography (2015), and has organized numerous naturalistic exhibitions.

He is the founder and president of the association "Dugongo Team" and has annually organized underwater photography and freediving competitions (in which several Italian and world records have been established).

Carmelo promotes "plastic clean-up events", in particular on the beaches of Capo Milazzo, which are attended by associations and hundreds of residents.

He also partecipates in initiatives to raise environmental awareness such as swimming across the Strait of Messina while dragging plastic debris and "Seaso Aeolian Tour": a journey with "zero environmental impact" in the name of environmental protection, using a 4-meter sailboat (no cabin) and only the green energy of the Aeolian wind (no motor). It was a popular trip, the goal of which was to raise awareness of environmental issues and spread the message of the sperm whale Siso.

Carmelo has been interviewed several times for Striscia la Notizia (Canale5), Le Iene (Italia1), Geo (Rai3), and Lineablu (Rai1).