People were SHOCKED when they saw what emerged from the sea. Tourists on the Romanian coast were surprised by what they saw in the water. With the sea waves, an injured dolphin was brought to shore. The dolphin was pulled out of the water to try to save him, but unfortunately he had no luck. Experts say that it is a mammal of the species Delphinus Delphis. Multiple wounds were found on his body, probably caused by fishermen’s nets. In the Black Sea, three species of marine mammals are found: Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis ponticus) Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus ponticus) Common porpoise (Phocoena phocoena relicta) Black Sea dolphins differ both in morpho-anatomical characteristics and in primary food sources.
The bottlenose dolphin and harbor porpoise primarily feed on fish and other benthic organisms, while the common dolphin’s diet consists of fish and other organisms found in the water column. Depending on these elements, each species prefers specific habitats: the first two species are found mainly in coastal areas, while the common dolphin is generally found in offshore areas. The common dolphin has a bluish gray to brown color on its dorsal surface, with a very light V-shaped lateral border.
A pigmented band, more or less dark, connects the lower jaw to the insertion of the pectoral fins. Dorsal, pectoral and caudal fins are black to gray-brown. At birth, their size is around 0.80 to 0.95 m. In the Black Sea, they do not exceed 2m (males – 177cm, females – 159cm). They are very susceptible to chemical and acoustic pollution. Typically, they congregate in groups of 10 to 15 individuals, as well as in pairs or isolated individuals. They swim very fast, reaching speeds of around 50 km/h. They make short dives and breathe frequently on the surface, at 1/3 second intervals. They live in depths of up to 70 meters.
They reach sexual maturity at 2 years old and the gestation period is 10 months, with weaning at 4 months. They display highly developed maternal instincts. Their lifetime is estimated between 25 and 30 years. Their main diet consists of small pelagic fish (sprat, anchovies, gobies) and crustaceans, although other species such as horse mackerel, cod, bluefish, red mullet, sea bass, shrimp and molluscs occur. often found in their stomachs. Their daily food intake is approximately 10 kg.
