Namibia investigates the mysterious death of 86 dolphins

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Namibia investigates the mysterious death of 86 stranded dolphins. The animals washed ashore on the beach of Hottentot Bay, near the town of Luderitz in northern Namibia.

A fishing boat had noticed the cadavers on Friday. The fishing and marine ministry sent a team to investigate on Saturday. “We are awaiting the results of the laboratory and the report of the ongoing research,” said Ministry spokeswoman Rauna Kalola on Tuesday.

The scene was unfortunate. Altogether, 86 dark-striped dolphins were scattered in an advanced state of decomposition on the very remote beach, including two newborns and several young animals. “The scene that greeted us was beyond sad. Altogether 86 dusky dolphins, including two newborns and several immature individuals, were scattered on this extremely remote beach and in an advanced state of decay,” says Luderitz research group on Facebook.

“Sadly, we will never know what exactly happened to this group, and the heartbreaking images will be hard to forget.”

The dolphin species are common in the Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of Angola, Namibia and South Africa.