Pretoria – Authorities are probing the death of at least 86 dusky dolphins which were stranded on the beach of Hottentots Bay near the town of Lüderitz in northern Namibia.
The Namibian newspaper reported on Wednesday that marine biologists at Lüderitz were still trying to figure out why the mammals got stranded near the fishing town where they were found dead by the crew of a lobster vessel on Friday.
It is believed they had been stranded for about a week before the discovery.
A senior marine biologist in Namibia’s ministry of fisheries and marine resources, Kolette Grobler, told The Namibian that the mammals were already decomposing when found.
“Hyena, jackals and seagulls (had) begun feeding on the carcasses. The area is also very isolated, hence the late discovery,” said Grobler, who is part of a team of researchers taken by a vessel to the site of the mass stranding which was described as a “scene beyond sad” by the Lüderitz Marine Research group on Facebook.
A whale was also reportedly among the dead dolphins.