«Not only people die from the enemy»: a scientist about dead dolphins on the coast of Odesa

Dead dolphins were found on the coast of Odesa, the photo was published by Ivan Rusev

A baby white-sided dolphin washed up on the coast of the National Nature Park Tuzlivski Lymany in Odesa. A dead bottlenose dolphin was also found near the national park in Hrybivka.

Their death is linked to the Russian fleet, said Ivan Rusiev, the head of the research department of Tuzlivski Lymany.

«Not only people die from the enemy, but the most intelligent creatures of the Black Sea — dolphins  continue to die,» he emphasized.

According to Ivan Rusiev, previously dolphins were also thrown onto the shores of the Black Sea in Bulgaria and the coast of Azov.

Dead dolphins were found on the coast of Odesa, the photo was published by Ivan Rusiev

Dead dolphins were found on the coast of Odesa, the photo was published by Ivan Rusiev

Dead dolphins were found on the coast of Odesa, the photo was published by Ivan Rusiev

It is noted that the cause of their death may be sonar, or sonars, which are means of detecting underwater objects using acoustic radiation, which are on some Russian vessels near Novorossiisk and the occupied Crimea.

Sonar devices create powerful waves that negatively affect the health of animals. Because of them, dolphins receive an acoustic injury — when they fall into the radiation zone of navigation devices of ships, their organs of navigation and echolocation suffer.

«When the organs of navigation and hearing are damaged, dolphins cannot use echolocation, that is, they become virtually «blind». Having lost orientation, animals lose acoustic control over the environment. «Blind» dolphins are in stress and panic, they cannot navigate in space. As a result, they hit all kinds of obstacles, including mines, and crash against rocks,» explained Ivan Rusiev.

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Also, affected dolphins cannot catch fish, quickly exhaust themselves, lose their immunity and become defenseless against infections. In particular, we are talking about infection with morbilliviruses — a genus of viruses that can cause, in particular, an infection of the respiratory tract.

It is possible that from sonar waves and bombardments, when dolphins suddenly surface, a gas embolism occurs, in which blood foams and the walls of cells and blood vessels are destroyed, which blocks blood flow.

«Only the destruction of the Russian fleet will give the dolphins a chance to feel the relief of life,» the scientist noted.

Earlier, Ivan Rusiev said that Black Sea dolphins, which traditionally winter in the depths of the sea near the shores of Crimea, Georgia and Turkey, migrated last year due to the influence of ship sonars and bombardment in the shallow waters of the northwestern part of the Black Sea.