Dead dolphins wash up on coast after Russian oil tankers collide in Black Sea

Russian TV channels ASTRA and SHOT reported that six Red Data Book dolphins were found dead in Novorossiysk, two more were spotted at sea, and one washed up on a beach in Russia's Krasnodar region. In total, 11 dolphins have died since the tanker accident.

Volunteers rescued over 700 birds, most of which were after sent to rehabilitation centers. However, 143 birds couldn't be saved.

Environmentalists warn that cleaning up the area from fuel oil will take at least 1.5 years. In the meantime, harmful hydrocarbons will sink to the Black Sea's bottom, threatening the ecosystem.

Fuel oil is particularly dangerous for dolphins as it can poison them through toxic fish or direct contact with the slick. If swallowed, it causes suffocation.

The Black Sea is home to three endangered dolphin species: the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin, white-beaked dolphin, and Azov dolphin.

• On Sunday, December 15, two Russian oil tankers carrying mazut, a type of low-quality heavy fuel oil, collided in the Kerch Strait in the Black Sea.