A record number of dead dolphins has been recorded in the Black Sea
May 2026 set a record for the number of dead and injured dolphins in the Black Sea. Environmentalists are reporting mass deaths of marine mammals in various parts of the region. Dead dolphins are being found off the coast of occupied Crimea, near Novorossiysk, and along the shores of the Odesa region. Experts note that attempts to rescue animals washed ashore alive are rarely successful.
This is reported with reference to a post by Ivan Rusev, head of the research department at the Tuzly Estuaries National Nature Park, on Facebook.
Experts describe the situation as unprecedented and link it to the negative consequences of the war on the Black Sea ecosystem.
Deadly "chemical and acoustic terror"
Researchers point out that the dolphins have fallen victim to a synergistic environmental disaster. This involves a combination of two critical factors:
Chemical terror: due to oil spills and the destruction of infrastructure, toxic substances are entering the sea, causing severe intoxication, toxic hepatitis, pancreatitis, and nephritis in the animals.
Acoustic terror: the use of sonar and constant explosions (in particular, the launches of "Kalibr" missiles) disorient the dolphins, driving them into the traps of the polluted coastline.
According to experts’ findings, the cetaceans examined are diagnosed with critical internal organ dysfunction: convulsions, severe pain, exhaustion, and dehydration.
Why attempts to save dolphins are often futile
Environmentalists emphasize: rescuing a dolphin washed ashore is an extremely difficult task. After the animal receives first aid or is towed back to deeper water, its survival instinct kicks in, and it tries to return to the pod.
"This could be the so-called 'false recovery effect' driven by adrenaline. Unfortunately, if the internal organs are already critically damaged by toxins or due to stress from explosions, this burst of energy may be its last," explains Rusev.
Consequences of Anthropogenic Pressure
The large-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation has caused a massive anthropogenic impact on the Black Sea ecosystem. The following enter the northwestern part of the sea:
biogenic substances (nitrogen, phosphorus, nitrates);
heavy metals and petroleum products;
fragments of ammunition, drones, and debris from bombed-out equipment.
All these factors combined create deadly conditions for marine mammals, turning the Black Sea into an ecological disaster zone.
Navy sailors intercepted a rubber boat carrying draft dodgers in the Black Sea.
As a reminder, the organizer of a scheme to smuggle draft dodgers for $12,000 was detained in Kyiv.
Also, an employee of the TCC in Chernihiv Oblast was detained for bribery.
