A dead baby dolphin believed to be of the Pygmy Killer species was found Thursday morning at the shoreline of Barangay Tinago, in Dumaguete City.

It was brought to the Silliman University Marine Laboratory for examination and to determine the cause of death. Leslie Callanta, a biology student of Silliman, said the dolphin had probably been sick because of its physical appearance.

Callanta and two Indonesian students taking their Doctorate degrees in Marine Biology at Silliman, collected sample tissues from the dead dolphin for examination.

Callanta, however, said Silliman Marine Laboratory Marine geologist Dr. Janet Estacion is the one authorized to determine the cause of the death of the dolphin.

After the examination, the dolphin will be buried in the pond and after two months, its skeleton will be collected for research and marine bone collection.

Meanwhile, Dr. Hilconida Calumpong, the Head of SUML, expressed alarm over the increasing number of dolphins and whales stranded in Oriental Negros.

Based on records, 11 dolphin and whale strandings have been recorded from July last year, to date. Earlier this year, two dolphins were reported butchered in Amlan, reports reaching her office also said.

Calumpong said this year has recorded the most number of dolphin stranding in the province in her 30 years of experience.

She said there are four possible causes of dolphin stranding - the species are accidentally caught in fishing nets; increase in fishing activities along the Tañon Strait; deterioration of the sea; and the seismic survey which causes sound disturbance on the marine mammal.

Calumpong challenged the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to increase its vigilance and monitoring in the deep and open seas.*MA

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