Two Risso’s Dolphins Wash Ashore

Two Risso’s dolphins, a species never before seen in Iceland, washed ashore in Hrútafjörður, reports RÚV.

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One of the dolphins died on land before vets could reach it, the other had to be euthanised on site. Sverrir Daníel Halldórsson, a biologist at the Icelandic Marine Research Institute, says there is no evidence the dolphin species has ever been in Iceland before.

“They are found in eastern Ireland and northwest Scotland,” says Sverrir. “But the greatest number are found further south, in warmer waters.”

Sverrir believes that warming seas could be leading the dolphins away from their natural habitats.

“They follow warmth,” says Sverrir. “They look very skinny to me and it could be that they just wandered off and didn’t find anything to eat.”