Autopsy will be performed on the dolphins found near Ropotamo. Main hypothesis for their death is the war in Ukraine

Some 55 dolphins have been found dead or in distress since the beginning of the year in the Bulgarian seaside region of Bourgas Maria Andreeva, an expert at the eco-inspection in Bourgas, told the BNT morning programme “The Day Begins” on June 8.

According to her, the causes of death can be any, because they are mammals and suffer from various diseases. The consequences of the war are not excluded, Andreeva said. The four dolphins that were found in the Romotamo reserve have been transported to the Trakia University in Stara Zagora, where an autopsy will be performed today and the causes of their deaths will become clear.

Atanas Russev from the association "Let's Preserve Coral" has seen many injured dolphins south of Kiten. He told about the four dolphins that were found near Ropotamo. They were alive, but there were many injuries and burns on their bodies. Rusev said that the cause could be sonic booms or explosions in the sea, which was probably a consequence of the war in Ukraine. One dolphin had burns with the size of half a metre to a metre, which cannot happen from the sun, Rusev said.

Autopsies of two dolphins in Romania found a disruption of the organ uned for their orientation.

Rusev also said that a colleague from Ukraine reported hundreds of cases along the Ukrainian coast with the same problems.

Two days ago, fisherman Georgi Zhelev rescued another dolphin. He and other fishermen found live dolphins in the fishing weir that could not get out. Zhelev says it's the first time he's seen such a thing in his years of experience. The dolphins have lost their orientation and could not overcome the obstacles, distinguish the ultrasound that is emitted from devices attached to the fishing weir and enter it. The fisherman is adamant that the dolphins' middle ear has been damaged and it is because of the war in Ukraine

The fishermen also notice that the dolphins are not very active this year, they are not tearing the nets and not bypassing them like they used to in the past years. People have rescued over 50 dolphins this year alone.

At Trakia University today, June 8, an autopsy will be performed on 6 dolphins, the four found at the mouth of the Ropotamo River and two in an urban environment - in the Lazur district a few weeks ago.

In the case of the four dolphins, it will be difficult to know if there is acoustic trauma, because the decomposition is at an advanced stage and will make the work of specialists difficult, said Dr. Kiril Dimitrov, who will perform the autopsy.

According to Dimitar Popov, who monitors the dolphin population, this year there have been a large number of cases of live doplphins going out into the shallows, experiencing orientation problems in the water. The main hypothesis is that this is the result of hearing trauma from the hostilities. There are constant explosions, shelling, increased sonar activity.

The other possible hypothesis is that there is an epidemic of a contagious disease, which can also lead to such symptoms, Popov added.

Cases of live dolphins washed ashore have been seen all along the Black Sea coast - Turkey, Russia, Ukraine.

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