The number of dead dolphins washed up from Sochi to Anapa since March of this year has now reached 167. The highest number of animals washed ashore was May – 84 dolphins with 16 individuals being discovered this month. The cause of deaths are currently being investigated but signs show some of the dolphins had been entangled in fishing nets.
The Black Sea is an isolated body of water with an unusual marine environment and due to its isolation, only three species of marine mammals are thought to inhabit the Black Sea today – the bottlenose dolphin, the short-beaked common dolphin and the harbour porpoise. All remain genetically distinct from their counter-parts in the near-by Mediterranean.
Photo Credit: U Mamma
