Dead dolphins washed up on Odesa coast – photo
A baby white-sided dolphin has been washed up on the coast of the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park in Odesa Oblast. A dead bottlenose dolphin was also found near the national park in the village of Hrybivka.
Source: Ivan Rusiev, Head of the Tuzly Estuaries Research Department, has suggested that their deaths are linked to the activities of the Russian Navy
Details: "The enemy is killing not only people but also dolphins, the most intelligent creatures of the Black Sea," he said.
Rusiev noted that dolphins had also washed up on the Black Sea coast in Bulgaria and on the Sea of Azov coast earlier.
The cause of their deaths might be related to sonars – acoustic radiation devices used to detect underwater objects – found on some Russian warships near Novorossiysk and in occupied Crimea.
Sonar emits powerful waves that can severely affect animals’ health. Dolphins exposed to these acoustic signals may experience acoustic trauma, as their navigation and echolocation organs are damaged when they enter the radiation zone of ship navigation devices.
"When the navigation and hearing organs are damaged, dolphins cannot use echolocation, meaning they become virtually blind. Having lost their orientation, the animals lose acoustic control over their environment.
Blind dolphins experience significant stress and panic as they struggle to orient themselves in their environment. This disorientation leads them to collide with various obstacles, including naval mines and rocks," explained Ivan Rusiev.
The affected dolphins cannot hunt for fish, which leads to rapid exhaustion, weakened immunity, and increased susceptibility to infections. This includes vulnerability to morbilliviruses, which can cause respiratory tract infections.
"Only the sinking of the Ruscist fleet will give the dolphins a chance to feel better," the scientist added.
Background: About 50,000 dolphins perished in the Black Sea over the first eight months of the full-scale war.
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