The Archipelago Marine Protection Institute has discovered a dead dolphin, revealing another incident of “deliberate killing,” as stated by the organization. The incident was detected on the northwest coast of Samos in recent days.
According to the Archipelago Marine Protection Institute, which found the dead dolphin, the area is home to significant populations of four dolphin species. The region also experiences strong sea currents, making it not uncommon to find dead marine mammals—incidents that typically go unreported.
In this specific case, the bottlenose dolphin had its tail amputated with a sharp object. The announcement highlighted the severity of the incident: “The violent killing of a healthy dolphin, left to die a slow and painful death by bleeding out on the sea’s surface as it struggles to breathe, can no longer be tolerated in this day and age.”
Announcement: Deliberate Killing of a Dolphin in the NE Aegean
Another case of intentional dolphin killing was identified by the Archipelago Marine Protection Institute on the northwest coast of Samos.
This area, known for its significant populations of four dolphin species and strong ocean currents, often sees dead marine mammals—cases that usually remain unpublicized. However, in this incident, a bottlenose dolphin was found with its tail amputated by a sharp object. The violent killing of a healthy dolphin, left to die slowly from bleeding on the sea’s surface while struggling to breathe, is intolerable in this day and age.
It is noteworthy that in the same area last year, at the end of spring, four other bottlenose dolphins were found dead under similar circumstances. In the weeks preceding and during the period when these killings occurred in 2023, large purse seiners using circular nets, not flying the Greek flag, were active in the international waters of the area.
Due to our concern for this incident and potential future ones, the Archipelagos Institute has stationed a vessel in the open sea of the area to monitor any fishing activity that might be related to these incidents.