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Vaquita. Photo Thomas Jefferson

Scientific Committee gives first ever official species extinction warning

Photo: Thomas Jefferson We have welcomed the urgent call by experts to protect the vaquita...
blue whale

Whale fossil from Peru may have been heavier than blue whale

Scientists examining the bones of a 39 million-year-old ancient whale have concluded that it may...
Humpback whale © Christopher Swann

Humpback whales breach in synchronisation

Humpback whales are renowned for their incredible acrobatic displays, but a family in the USA...
Long-finned pilot whale

Unusual activity witnessed before pilot whale stranding

Just days after a pod of long-finned pilot whales stranded on an island in the...

Sri Lanka oil spill brings fears for whales and dolphins

Spinner dolphins in Sri Lanka © Andrew Sutton
Spinner dolphins in Sri Lanka © Andrew Sutton

Experts are increasingly concerned at the plight of a Singapore-registered cargo ship, the X-Press Pearl, laden with nitric acid and other chemicals, which had been ablaze for almost a fortnight. The fire is now out but the vessel is slowly sinking off Negombo, near the capital, Colombo, on the west coast of Sri Lanka. This area is incredibly rich in marine life, including many species of whales and dolphins such as blue whales, sperm whales and several  dolphin species.

Hundreds of tonnes of oil risk being washed from the vessel and oil, chemicals and plastic debris are already leaching into the water and local conservation biologist and whale expert Ranil Nanayakkara reported that dead marine mammals are now washing ashore.

WDC plastics expert Pine Eisfeld-Pierantonio said: ‘This is an environmental disaster with consequences that will take years to come out in the open. The plastic spilling from the vessel is already polluting the pristine beaches and poses a threat to wildlife, as it can be ingested, poisoning the animals with chemicals soaked up from the sea water or making them feel full, even though they have not eaten anything nutritious to sustain them.’

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