Over 60 whales and marine mammals were found dead in the Black Sea following an oil spill caused by the sinking of two Russian oil tankers, raising alarms about an ecological disaster. The Russian NGO Delpha, which specializes in rescuing dolphins and other marine mammals, reported that the death of these marine mammals is very likely related to the oil spill, calling the figure of 61 dead cetaceans "high and atypical," according to BFMTV.
"Almost daily, we receive information about new deaths," Delpha stated, indicating an ongoing crisis following the oil spill, as reported by La Croix. The organization emphasized that "The pollution [of the water from the spilled oil] is significant," complicating decontamination efforts due to the type of oil spilled—M100 grade heavy fuel oil, which sinks to the depths—according to Capital.
The ecological catastrophe began December 15, when two Russian oil tankers, the Volgoneft-212 and the Volgoneft-239, sank during a storm in the Kerch Strait, which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Azov and lies between Russia and the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Moscow in 2014, as reported by Le Parisien. The tankers were transporting 9,200 tons of heavy fuel oil, of which approximately 40% may have spilled into the sea following the sinking, according to Zougla.
According to Russian authorities, more than 96,000 tons of contaminated sand were removed from dozens of kilometers of beach on the Russian coast, but in total, about 200,000 tons of soil may have been affected, as reported by Le Figaro. The Russian Ministry of Emergencies added, "More than 68 kilometers of coastline have been cleaned," according to La Croix. Despite these efforts, the situation continues to raise concern, BFMTV reported.
The cleanup has been complicated by the nature of the oil spilled. The M100 grade heavy fuel oil is dense and heavy, does not float on the surface, and is difficult to clean up, according to El Economista. The Ministry of Emergencies stated that "strong winds and waves" carried the oil towards the beaches.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the sinking of the tankers in the Black Sea an "ecological disaster" and demanded measures to prevent further pollution of the affected areas, as reported by Το Βήμα.
Delpha noted that "Judging by the condition of the corpses, it is very likely that most of these cetaceans died in the first ten days after the disaster."
"The dead marine mammals are mostly porpoises," with an unusually high number of dead dolphins reported for this time of year, as reported by Newsbomb.
This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq