In the last two months there have arrived 29 dead dolphins of the
Stenella coeruleoalba (
delfín listado) sub-species to the coasts of the Valencian Autonomous Region. This is only those which dead bodies have been taken to the coast by the sea. It is unknown how many others may have died.
The possible epidemics is a morbillivirus (see in the Biology forum:
Morbilluvirus) which is known as the
measles of cetaceans (literally translated from Spanish), similar to the one which killed many pilot whales (
Globicephala macrorhynchus) last winter in the Mediterranean. 25 pilot whales were found dead on the Spanish coasts in the Mediterranean.
In the early 90s there was an epidemic that reduced dramatically the populations of dolphins in the Mediterranean, from east to west. The analyses made during that epidemic showed that the dead samples presented very low immunity levels, probably due to sea waters pollution.
Calderón tropical - pilot whale
Delfines listados - striped dolphins
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'Dardanidae duri, quae uos a stirpe parentum
prima tulit tellus, eadem uos ubere laeto
accipiet reduces. Antiquam exquirite matrem:
hic domus Aeneae cunctis dominabitur oris,
et nati natorum, et qui nascentur ab illis.'
We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.