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07-01-2022, 09:31 PM
Two cetaceans appear stranded on the coast of Majorca at the beginning of the year.
The Environment Service of the Cabildo de Fuerteventura has activated twice this week the protocol of stranding of cetaceans, to give a prompt response to the discovery of a gray pilot whale in the area of Caleta de Fuste and a mottled dolphin in Corralejo.
The first of them, a specimen of grey pilot whale of 2.5 meters in length and 200 kilograms in weight, was found this Tuesday, January 4, in Caleta Corcha, in an area located between Caleta de Fuste and Costa de Antigua. The agents of the Environment were monitoring the animal, which was sighted a few meters from the coast the day before. As soon as it was stranded, it was removed from the coast and taken to the Zurita Environmental Complex, where the veterinary group of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canarias and specialists from SECAC (Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canary Islands), hired by the Government of the Canary Islands, carried out the sampling and necropsy of the animal that same day.
The next day, January 5, a mottled dolphin from the Juvenile Atlantic arrived at the Moro beach, in the Corralejo Natural Park, approximately 1.59 meters long, which showed obvious signs of bites. After a citizen warning, teams from the Cabildo moved to the area for their withdrawal. The specimen is currently in the freezing chamber of the Biological Station of La Oliva, awaiting its necropsy.
The Minister of Environmental Sustainability, Lola García, highlights the importance of citizen collaboration in case of stranding, which allows prompt action by the Environment Service of the Cabildo de Fuerteventura and the notice to the staff of the Canarian Network of Stranded Cetaceans, who are responsible for recording biometric data and necropsies. This makes it possible to collect biological samples for various scientific studies. Data that are essential to better understand the biology of these species and help in their conservation.
Therefore, in case of sighting or finding of this or another type of rugged fauna, it is necessary to notify 112.
In Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria we can observe the grey pilot whale throughout the year, in groups of between 5 and 25 specimens, even approaching the shore. When it is born it has a gray coloration that becomes lighter with age. In adults you can see numerous scars or scratches on their body, produced by the teeth of their congeners, or other adversities. Their weight ranges between 300 and 680 kilograms, being able to reach about four meters in adulthood, and they feed on octopus and squid that they capture in the depths.
For its part, the Atlantic spotted dolphin is of oceanic habits and is usually seen at a depth of between 600 and 900 meters, near the coasts, and can be observed on our islands, preferably during winter and spring. The distinctive feature of the species is the numerous spots that appear, although the juvenile specimens are not mottled. It is characterized by its curiosity, frequently approaching the bow of the boats.
The Environment Service of the Cabildo de Fuerteventura has activated twice this week the protocol of stranding of cetaceans, to give a prompt response to the discovery of a gray pilot whale in the area of Caleta de Fuste and a mottled dolphin in Corralejo.
The first of them, a specimen of grey pilot whale of 2.5 meters in length and 200 kilograms in weight, was found this Tuesday, January 4, in Caleta Corcha, in an area located between Caleta de Fuste and Costa de Antigua. The agents of the Environment were monitoring the animal, which was sighted a few meters from the coast the day before. As soon as it was stranded, it was removed from the coast and taken to the Zurita Environmental Complex, where the veterinary group of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canarias and specialists from SECAC (Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canary Islands), hired by the Government of the Canary Islands, carried out the sampling and necropsy of the animal that same day.
The next day, January 5, a mottled dolphin from the Juvenile Atlantic arrived at the Moro beach, in the Corralejo Natural Park, approximately 1.59 meters long, which showed obvious signs of bites. After a citizen warning, teams from the Cabildo moved to the area for their withdrawal. The specimen is currently in the freezing chamber of the Biological Station of La Oliva, awaiting its necropsy.
The Minister of Environmental Sustainability, Lola García, highlights the importance of citizen collaboration in case of stranding, which allows prompt action by the Environment Service of the Cabildo de Fuerteventura and the notice to the staff of the Canarian Network of Stranded Cetaceans, who are responsible for recording biometric data and necropsies. This makes it possible to collect biological samples for various scientific studies. Data that are essential to better understand the biology of these species and help in their conservation.
Therefore, in case of sighting or finding of this or another type of rugged fauna, it is necessary to notify 112.
In Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria we can observe the grey pilot whale throughout the year, in groups of between 5 and 25 specimens, even approaching the shore. When it is born it has a gray coloration that becomes lighter with age. In adults you can see numerous scars or scratches on their body, produced by the teeth of their congeners, or other adversities. Their weight ranges between 300 and 680 kilograms, being able to reach about four meters in adulthood, and they feed on octopus and squid that they capture in the depths.
For its part, the Atlantic spotted dolphin is of oceanic habits and is usually seen at a depth of between 600 and 900 meters, near the coasts, and can be observed on our islands, preferably during winter and spring. The distinctive feature of the species is the numerous spots that appear, although the juvenile specimens are not mottled. It is characterized by its curiosity, frequently approaching the bow of the boats.