Riddle of 4 cetacean deaths in 2 weeks on Almería coast, Spain

Marine life volunteers inspecting the dead fin whale that was found offshore near Retamar last week

The recent deaths of two dolphins and two whales on the Almería coast have raised questions about their possible causes, as they came just days after naval exercises were carried out in the same area.

The first of the strandings was that of a Pilot whale in Balerma, El Ejido, the last week of October, followed by the discovery of a decomposed dolphin washed up on a beach in Cuevas del Almanzora.

The body of a 20-metre long Fin whale was spotted in the waters off Retamar a few days later and then a Striped dolphin was found stranded on a remote beach in Cabo de Gata. The latter died only moments after the arrival on the scene of members of Equinac, the non-governmental organization responsible for marine animals in the province.

CA news spoke to Alexander Sánchez, biologist with Equinac. He said naval exercises in the area "have been known to cause harm to cetaceans in the past" in reference to four Cuvier's beaked whales that were washed ashore in 2006 on the beaches of Garrucha, Mojacar and Villaricos.