Over recent days, four common dolphins, mainly juvenile, have washed up dead on beaches near Aberystwyth and Tywyn in Wales, prompting an investigation from authorities to confirm if there is any possible link between the deaths. The smallest, discovered in Tywyn, was a juvenile male common dolphin that had a wound between its dorsal fin and tail fluke. Another juvenile, discovered on Tanybwlch, looked to be malnourished and the only adult amongst the four marine mammals was discovered in the same area and dead for some time. All cetaceans showed signs of dying at different times and with different possible causes so it may not be possible to confirm what caused their deaths.
Although bottlenose dolphins and harbour porpoises are more commonly seen around Wales, (there is a resident population of bottlenose dolphins that live around Cardigan Bay), common dolphins are a much rarer visitor to the Welsh coast, preferring deeper offshore waters.
