Bees first, now dolphines are dying...on Earth

Page last updated at 11:35 GMT, Monday, 9 June 2008 12:35 UK
Dolphins die after mass stranding

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/7443626.stm

Between 15 and 20 common dolphins have died after becoming stranded in a river creek on the Cornish coast.

An RNLI lifeboat crew at the scene at Porth Creek near Portscatho said they had managed to release a further five back to their pod in deeper water.

Three more dolphins remain stranded and are said to be very ill.

The British Divers Marine Life Rescue charity has sent a team to help the dolphins. It is thought the stranding could be related to a low tide.

The coxswain of the Falmouth lifeboat described the scene as "horrific".

'Distress calls'

Coastguards said the pod of dolphins swam up the Percuil River and were beached in Porth Creek on Monday morning.

One theory is that they may have been scared by something and swam into the river to hide, another is that they were chasing fish.

It is believed the pod's distress signals lured other dolphins to the river.

A spokesman for Famlouth Coastguard said: "Most of the pod have died. There are now many more following the same route in.

"We are not sure why they are all swimming up the river - it seems they are following the distress calls of the first pod."

Maddie Precious, from the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, said: "We're obviously going to try to find out why this happened, it is obviously quite unusual."

She voiced concerns that people might sail to the creek to try to help the stranded animals and said any rescue attempts should be left to wildlife experts.

Dozens of dolphins die on Madagascar beach

Mon Jun 9, 2008 1:01pm EDT Email | Print | Share| Reprints | Single Page|
By Fanja Saholiarisoa
http://www.reuters.com/article/environment...&rpc=22&sp=true


ANTANANARIVO (Reuters) - Some 55 dolphins have died, after coming ashore on a beach in the northwest of Madagascar, conservationists said on Monday.

The melon-headed whales, a species of dolphin, were first spotted at sea last month, but then became stranded on a beach last week, Herilala Randriamahazo, from the Wildlife Conservation Society, a non-profit organization, told Reuters.

"We have counted 55 dead dolphins today," Randriamahazo said by telephone from Antsohihy, the seaside town where the dolphins died. They were buried in a mass grave, he said.

American specialists had arrived on Monday to examine possible reasons for the beaching and to lead some remaining dolphins out to sea, he said.

"This is the first time that Madagascar has seen such sea animals," he said.

A spokeswoman for the Indian Ocean island's environment ministry said the dolphins had created a stir. "Lots of people are going to Antsohihy to see these animals for the first time," she said.

(Writing by Ed Harris)

(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com/))