Dolphin Deaths on a Tropical Beach in Mauritius

Several dolphin carcasses have once again been found washed ashore in the waters off southeastern Mauritius—the very same area where a Japanese cargo ship ran aground and sank last month. The shipwreck has resulted in the leakage of more than 1,000 metric tons of crude oil, polluting vast areas of pristine coral reefs and nearshore waters—an area that serves as a critical habitat for numerous endangered marine species. In the month since the accident, dead fish, sea turtles, dolphins, and other marine life have been discovered in succession, and the ecological damage continues to escalate.