The number of dead dolphins on the coast of Odesa region is increasing

Over the weekend of June 6-7, employees of the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park found 15 dead cetaceans during a survey of 12 kilometers of the national park's coastline and one nearby.

This was reported by former park director and ecologist Ivan Rusev.

Thus, the number of cetaceans that washed up on the coast within three days in the national park alone amounted to 37 individuals. Earlier, on June 5, employees of the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park found dead dolphins on the coast in what was considered an unprecedented number of 22 animals. Most of them - 20 - are Azov's dolphins, the only cetacean in the Sea of Azov listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. The sea also threw up one aphaline and one beluga whale.

Ivan Rusev emphasized that the only and undeniable root cause of such a massive death of animals is the war. Due to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Black Sea ecosystem is on the verge of collapse. The constant, deadly military pressure - mine explosions, bombing, missile launches, and the use of powerful naval sonar - is systematically destroying the unique biodiversity.

Earlier, employees of the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park found four dead dolphins on the coast and two more outside the national park within a week. Prior to that, the last massive death of dolphins was observed in the summer of 2025.

Кирило Бойко