The press service of the Chershov Institute of Oceanography of the Russian Academy of Sciences announced that scientists have once again spotted a rare avian dolphin near the coast of Gelendzhik in the Black Sea.
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This is the same dolphin that was first photographed in 2019. Scientists were able to identify the dolphin thanks to distinctive light-colored spots on its head and flippers. It was spotted then near the town of Arkhipovo-Osipovka, but now the dolphin has appeared near the coast of Divnomorskoye, more than 40 kilometers from its previous location.
The encounter took place during a cetacean expedition in the Black Sea. Over nine voyages, the scientists covered more than 500 kilometers and recorded 23 contacts with dolphins, mostly black affinity dolphins.
To identify dolphins, researchers use a method of photographic identification, where individual markers such as scars, fin shape, and spots become a "passport" for the dolphin.
During the entire expedition, approximately 3,700 photographs were taken, allowing for the identification of dozens of animals. All of these will be added to the long-term photographic catalog of Avellin dolphins.
“This story demonstrates the value of multi-year monitoring,” said Varvara Levitskaya, research assistant at the Marine Mammal Laboratory of the Chershov Institute of Oceanography and an expert at the Nature and People Association. “By comparing images taken in different years, scientists can prove the frequent encounters of individual animals, study their movements, and gradually determine the extent of their stable association with specific coastal areas. If studies confirm the existence of stable local communities, this will allow for the identification of water bodies of particular importance to the lives of dolphins, and subsequently, the development of measures to protect these important areas.”
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