Crimean dolphins rewritten

Earlier, the Karadag Scientific Station named after T. I. Vyazemsky reported that Crimean scientists had compiled a database with the unique «whistle-signature» of bottlenose dolphins — one of three species of dolphins that live in the Black and Azov Seas around Crimea. However, the exact number of individuals identified in this way was not named.

In the waters of southeastern Crimea, a community of bottlenose dolphins has been described in detail, which is represented by transit (migrating individuals) and resident groups (permanently present). Communities of bottlenose dolphins have also been identified in the waters of western, southwestern, southern, southeastern and eastern Crimea. In 2014-2024, 823 individuals were acoustically identified in the coastal waters of the Crimean peninsula.— the Ministry of Education and Science’s response to the request states. TASS.

It is specified that the database-catalogue of such «whistles-signatures» is regularly supplemented with new information. Only this method, unlike traditional visual and photo identification, allows to register almost all individuals in the studied area. And, thanks to the large volume of information, to track the dynamics of bottlenose dolphins visiting a particular area.

At the same time, according to the ministry, other methods of recording have made it possible to compile a database of dolphins of two other Black Sea species.

A working catalogue of photo-identified individuals has been compiled. Azovkas and common dolphins are distributed mainly in the south-western, southern and south-eastern parts of the Crimean waters— the report notes.

The ministry added that the most recent information about the Black Sea dolphins living near Crimea was obtained during a scientific voyage of the vessel Professor Vodyanitsky of the Federal Research Center Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which took place in May-June 2024. Scientists recorded about 240 encounters with cetaceans. Clusters of dolphins — from several dozen to hundreds — were recorded in the area of ​​the waters of southeastern Crimea.

Dolphins in the Black Sea

Three species of cetaceans live in the Black and Azov Seas: the Azov dolphin, the common dolphin, and the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin. The Black Sea bottlenose dolphin and the Azov dolphin (or the Azov-Black Sea porpoise) are listed in the Red Book of Russia, and the common dolphin is listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Crimea. This means that the species are endangered and require comprehensive measures to protect and preserve them.

As reported to TASS by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, in recent years dolphins have been actively monitored not only around the Crimean Peninsula, but also in the northeastern part of the Black Sea from Sochi to Anapa. In this region, in 2018-2020, thanks to the support of the Rosneft company, the P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences conducted an aerial survey of these mammals — this became the largest study of the institute in recent years. Scientists came to the conclusion that the number of cetaceans in the study area is more than 17 thousand individuals: common dolphins — over 12 thousand, bottlenose dolphins — about 4 thousand, Azov dolphins — just over 1.5 thousand.

source: TASS