Already 38 dead dolphins washed ashore at Mauritius after oil spill

Near Mauritius, 38 dolphins have already been washed ashore dead. The government of the island state in the Indian Ocean reports this to the British news agency Reuters.

It is suspected that the death of the marine mammals is the result of the recent oil spill there. The oil started leaking from a tanker a week after a Japanese tanker ran aground on a coral reef on 25 July.

A government official said the results of the autopsies on 25 dolphins that washed ashore on Wednesday and Thursday are expected in the coming days. Two dolphins have been examined by veterinarians so far. The marine mammals were injured but showed no traces of oil in their bodies.

The shipwreck, broken in two, was sunk on Monday. The environmental organization Greenpeace called this choice “the worst option”. Greenpeace called on the Mauritius government on Thursday to promptly investigate the deaths of dozens of dolphins and a possible link to the oil spill.

Environmentalists and scientists have warned that the oil spill will be a major ecological disaster, predicting it will have significant consequences for the economy of Mauritius. The island state is largely dependent on tourism. The economic damage could last for decades, has been warned.

Environmentalists and scientists have warned that the oil spill is a major ecological disaster, and predict that it will have a major impact on Mauritius’ economy. The island state is highly dependent on tourism. The economic damage could last for decades, has been warned.