Featured Image Credit: SMASS
By: Sarah Sharkey
The Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme had 63 beached animals to help this month. That is a lot of beached mammals no matter how you look at it. There were 25 cetaceans and 37 seals, all in desperate need of help.
Of the cetaceans, 16 were harbor porpoises. So what was the cause of so many harbor porpoises being beached in one month? A different cetacean. Dolphins are being blamed for this string of vicious and sometimes deadly attacks.
One victim was an older female that beached in Gairloch. She was examined after being savagely killed by dolphins, most likely bottlenose dolphins. The report done by the Scottish Marine Animal Strandings Scheme stated “The animal was in good nutritional condition and had recently fed. Several ribs were fractured, which had caused a large hematoma within the liver as well as a puncture to the left ventricle of the heart. There were numerous rake marks with associated bruising present all over the body, a common observation in porpoises that have died of an attack by bottlenose dolphins.”
Unfortunately, harbor porpoises are not the only target of these attacks. Pilot whales have also been victims of these attacks. It is hard to imagine that a cute creature like a dolphin could inflict such harm, but hey everybody has to fight to survive.
The total population of dolphins in Scottish waters is only around 300 individuals, but they are extremely important to tourism in the area.
Learn more from our source.