Dolphins could have followed sick leader

Dubai: The mass death of more than 150 Striped Dolphins in southern Iran over the last month could be due to the herd of mammals following a sick dominant male, said a UAE-based marine expert.

In the last month a total of 152 Striped Dolphins, known for their acrobatic skills and often spotted speeding along close to bows of ships, have mysteriously washed up on Iran's coast near Jask port.

Local media have blamed fishing malpractices and reported that locals tried to put the animals back in the water but they refused to return.

According to Saif Al Ghais, a marine biologist and biology professor at the UAE University in Al Ain, this phenomenon has never occurred in the Gulf before and could be due to a sick dolphin leading the others to mass mortality by beaching.

Pollution ruled out

"Pollution is ruled out as the cause because other marine organisms would also have been affected and as far as we know they haven't. Whale species are scientifically known to follow a dominant male so this does happen in marine mammals," said Al Ghais.

"If the herd follows one sick male then they will follow and die together which is why if you try to push them back they won't go, similar to a social feeling between the animals. Another explanation is if the entire population has been affected by a disease," he said.

Al Ghais said the dolphins washed up seemingly alive and people tried to push them back, ruling out the possibility that nets have suffocated them and corpses washed up.

Hamed Al Rahoomi, a consultant from the UAE Fishermen's Association, said if fishing nets had anything to do with the mammals' deaths they would be marked or have remnants on their bodies.

"If all the dolphins died together at the same time at the same place I think it is because of something they wanted to do and not because of fishing or pollution. Fishing nets would not kill so many dolphins at one time. In GCC countries trawling is illegal but if the method is still used it could have this effect," said Al Rahoomi.