Eco-catastrophe in the Black Sea: At least 32 dolphins died
Tengrinews.kz - As a result of the wreck of tankers in the Kerch Strait and the subsequent fuel oil spill, at least 32 dolphins died. Such data is provided by the autonomous non-profit Russian Delfa Dolphin Rescue and Research Center.
32 dolphins died
"Since the emergency, we have recorded 61 dead cetaceans, including 32 individuals who died after December 15, whose death is most likely related to the fuel oil spill. The rest died before the emergency - very old bodies. Almost every day we receive information about new dead dolphins, keep records, and regularly transmit data to government agencies," the organization said in a message on Telegram.
It is noted that for this time of year (outside the stranding season), such a number of deaths is atypically high.
"Judging by the condition of the bodies, most likely the majority of these cetaceans died in the first 10 days after the disaster. And now the sea continues to wash them up. The ones that suffered were mainly Azov cetaceans, which have always been the most vulnerable cetaceans," the organization reported.
It is also specified that no live dolphins have been washed ashore yet.
The organization's website notes that the scientific and ecological Delfa Dolphin Rescue and Research Center was founded in 2017 to rescue, treat, and rehabilitate Black Sea dolphins. The main region of activity is the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory.
What happened in the Kerch Strait: A chronology of events
On December 15, 2024, it became known that the Volgoneft 212 vessel was damaged in the Kerch Strait due to bad weather. The second tanker, Volgoneft-239, was also damaged.
"According to updated information: the Volgoneft-212 tanker was damaged and ran aground; the Volgoneft 239 tanker, after receiving damage, went adrift," the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported in its Telegram channel.
It was later reported that 13 sailors were evacuated from the Volgoneft 212 tanker, unfortunately, one of them died. On December 16, it became known that the operation to rescue the crew from the Volgoneft 239 tanker was completed, it was noted that all 14 people were safely evacuated to shore.
The Russian government's website reported on December 16, 2024, that "as a result of the tanker wreck, fuel oil spilled into the sea and is drifting toward the coast in the area from Cape Panagia to the Tuzla Spit. Presumably, the oil products leaked partially." It was also specified that the Volgoneft-212 tanker with fuel oil suffered a hull fracture on December 15, 2024, near Cape Takil in the Kerch Strait in stormy conditions. The Volgoneft-239 tanker also wrecked in the same area; due to the waves, the stern of the vessel drifted toward the shore and sat on the ground 80 meters from the shore near Cape Panagia.
On January 2, 2025, the Marine Rescue Service established the exact number of damaged tanks in the sunken parts of the Volgoneft tankers. According to their data, in total, we are talking about four tanks with fuel oil.
"A detailed examination showed that on both tankers they were destroyed along the fault line of the vessel. Otherwise, the hulls of the tankers have no visible damage, no fuel oil leaks were recorded," the message published on the official Telegram channel of the Ministry of Transport of Russia noted.
In addition, it is specified that specialists also established the volume of oil products that got into the sea - about 2.4 thousand tons.
Specialists from the Marine Rescue Service also noted that this emergency in the waters of the Kerch Strait is the world's first accident with "heavy" fuel oil brand M100.
"This fuel oil solidifies at a temperature of +25, its density is almost like water and heavier, and, unlike other oil products, it does not float to the surface, but sinks to the bottom or floats in the water column. There are no proven technologies in the world for removing it from the water column. Therefore, the main method is collection from the coastline, when fuel oil is thrown into the coastal zone," says a message published on the official Telegram channel of the Russian Ministry of Transport.
Previously, almost 2,000 dead seals have been discovered along the Caspian Sea coastline.
32 dolphins died
"Since the emergency, we have recorded 61 dead cetaceans, including 32 individuals who died after December 15, whose death is most likely related to the fuel oil spill. The rest died before the emergency - very old bodies. Almost every day we receive information about new dead dolphins, keep records, and regularly transmit data to government agencies," the organization said in a message on Telegram.
It is noted that for this time of year (outside the stranding season), such a number of deaths is atypically high.
"Judging by the condition of the bodies, most likely the majority of these cetaceans died in the first 10 days after the disaster. And now the sea continues to wash them up. The ones that suffered were mainly Azov cetaceans, which have always been the most vulnerable cetaceans," the organization reported.
It is also specified that no live dolphins have been washed ashore yet.
The organization's website notes that the scientific and ecological Delfa Dolphin Rescue and Research Center was founded in 2017 to rescue, treat, and rehabilitate Black Sea dolphins. The main region of activity is the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory.
What happened in the Kerch Strait: A chronology of events
On December 15, 2024, it became known that the Volgoneft 212 vessel was damaged in the Kerch Strait due to bad weather. The second tanker, Volgoneft-239, was also damaged.
"According to updated information: the Volgoneft-212 tanker was damaged and ran aground; the Volgoneft 239 tanker, after receiving damage, went adrift," the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported in its Telegram channel.
It was later reported that 13 sailors were evacuated from the Volgoneft 212 tanker, unfortunately, one of them died. On December 16, it became known that the operation to rescue the crew from the Volgoneft 239 tanker was completed, it was noted that all 14 people were safely evacuated to shore.
The Russian government's website reported on December 16, 2024, that "as a result of the tanker wreck, fuel oil spilled into the sea and is drifting toward the coast in the area from Cape Panagia to the Tuzla Spit. Presumably, the oil products leaked partially." It was also specified that the Volgoneft-212 tanker with fuel oil suffered a hull fracture on December 15, 2024, near Cape Takil in the Kerch Strait in stormy conditions. The Volgoneft-239 tanker also wrecked in the same area; due to the waves, the stern of the vessel drifted toward the shore and sat on the ground 80 meters from the shore near Cape Panagia.
On January 2, 2025, the Marine Rescue Service established the exact number of damaged tanks in the sunken parts of the Volgoneft tankers. According to their data, in total, we are talking about four tanks with fuel oil.
"A detailed examination showed that on both tankers they were destroyed along the fault line of the vessel. Otherwise, the hulls of the tankers have no visible damage, no fuel oil leaks were recorded," the message published on the official Telegram channel of the Ministry of Transport of Russia noted.
In addition, it is specified that specialists also established the volume of oil products that got into the sea - about 2.4 thousand tons.
Specialists from the Marine Rescue Service also noted that this emergency in the waters of the Kerch Strait is the world's first accident with "heavy" fuel oil brand M100.
"This fuel oil solidifies at a temperature of +25, its density is almost like water and heavier, and, unlike other oil products, it does not float to the surface, but sinks to the bottom or floats in the water column. There are no proven technologies in the world for removing it from the water column. Therefore, the main method is collection from the coastline, when fuel oil is thrown into the coastal zone," says a message published on the official Telegram channel of the Russian Ministry of Transport.
Previously, almost 2,000 dead seals have been discovered along the Caspian Sea coastline.