In a shocking discovery, over 100 dead dolphins have been found washed ashore along the coast of Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region. The dolphins, located near the port city of Bosaso, have left officials and local residents puzzled, with the cause of their deaths still under investigation.
At least 110 dolphins have been found, Fisheries Minister Abdirisak Abdulahi Hagaa told Reuters, whose bodies showed no visible signs of injury or wounds from fishing nets. This has led authorities to rule out entanglement as a cause of death. Toxic substances also probably are not at fault, as local fish populations are not affected.
The grim discovery attracted attention from local residents and soldiers who gathered to view the carcasses, with the strong odour from the bodies prompting many to cover their noses. Samples have been taken from the dolphins in an effort to determine the cause of the mass die-off, though no definitive answers have been provided so far.
The mysterious deaths of the dolphins speak to a bigger need for additional research into what may have environmental and ecological contributions to the catastrophe.