Seven strandings of bottlenose dolphins occurred on beaches on the North Coast of Santa Catarina in the first quarter of this year, reported the Santos Basin Beach Monitoring Project (PMP-BS). It was not possible to identify the causes of deaths (see below).
According to PMP-BS Univille, responsible for the records, five of them were adult males. The others were identified as cubs and juveniles, but their sex could not be determined.
See the stranding timeline:
- Balneário Barra do Sul: 07/01
- Itaguaçu Beach – São Francisco do Sul (07/02)
- Pontal – Itapoá (09/02)
- Praia Grande – São Francisco do Sul (09/03)
- Fort – São Francisco do Sul (03/15)
- Itaguaçu – São Francisco do Sul (03/23)
- Fort – São Francisco do Sul (03/30)
According to the team, due to the advanced stage of decomposition of the carcasses, it was not possible to identify the cause of deaths at necropsy.
The exams, however, identified that one animal had a lesion in the belly region caused by a sharp object, indicating anthropic interaction (interaction with humans).
According to PMP-BS Univille, one of the main causes of death tends to be precisely this type of contact, which includes, for example: accidental captures in fishing nets, vessel collisions, in addition to pollution of coastal and estuarine areas.
Bottlenose dolphins can be found in tropical and temperate zones throughout the world, occupying different habitats, from coastal regions, lagoons, estuaries and inland seas to oceanic waters and islands.
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