Dolphins in Baltic Sea – First Time In 200 Years
Posted by: Loren Coleman on August 19th, 2007
Add another one to this wild week of unusual animal sightings.
Warsaw, Poland — Two dolphins frolicking near the Polish Baltic Sea port of Gdynia at the weekend thrilled Polish marine biologists, who say dolphins were last seen in the area more than two centuries ago.
“Our records show dolphin sightings in this area in the 17th and 19th Centuries, so this really is a special event,” Professor Krzysztof Sikora, head of Gdansk University’s marine biology station on the Baltic’s Hel peninsula.
Sikora identified the creatures as common dolphins and urged pleasure boaters and commercial shippers to keep their eyes peeled for further sightings of the mammals.
Sightings of species have increased in recent years owing to the rise in the number of pleasure craft and the prevalence of mobile phones with cameras, Sikora said speaking via a mobile phone from a boat off the coast of the Hel peninsula.
Sikora was, however, at a loss to explain why the dolphins ventured into the Baltic. Rare sighting of dolphins in Baltic thrills Polish biologists, Digital Journal Staff in Environment, August 19, 2007; Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa
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How wonderful is that! Very neat.
That is soooooooo awesome! Although I do believe that has something to do with waters changing either temperature or directions (currents). Dolphins, last I heard, usually stick to nicer waters (temperature wise), but if the currents changed, even for just a little while, and their favorite food ventured that way–the dolphins are sure to follow.
All I can say is “HELL YEAH!”
Climate cycling. I wonder if the herring will switch back to the other side of Denmark again. The last time they switched, it brought down the Hansa.
I seem to think the same about the whole temperature change thing…was any of that mentioned by someone in that area after all these recent sightings?
Is it climate change or could it be better conservation practices over the years allowing dolphins to return? That region had experienced overfishing, major actions in two world wars and some of the heaviest commercial shipping and industrialization in east Europe, none of which were conducive to dolphin habitat or longevity.
But it is good they are they there. Too bad we can no longer say the same about the Yangtze River dolphin.