The sailors initially thought they were seeing a seal or porpoise — species more commonly seen in the Baltic Sea. However, as the animal swam closer, it turned out to be a dolphin. For several minutes, the mammal accompanied the yacht, swimming from one side to the other, to the amazement and delight of the crew.
According to Mr. Górski, who spoke to the G.pl portal, the common dolphin could only get to the Baltic Sea in one way — through the Denmark Strait. The expert explained that the appearance of these animals often accompanies inflows of salty water from the North Sea.
Although the sight of a dolphin in the Baltic Sea may seem unusual, it turns out that these mammals appear in this body of water from time to time. In the western waters of the Baltic Sea, there have been periods when dolphin sightings have been quite regular, although these have usually been single individuals or small groups. The last time a common dolphin was seen in the Polish Maritime Areas (POM) was in March 2023.
Although dolphins visit the Baltic Sea, it is unlikely that they will permanently settle there. However, history knows cases of longer stays – at the beginning of the 20th century, in the Gulf of Bothnia, several beluga whales were observed that survived there for more than five years.
The expert emphasizes that it is difficult to predict with certainty whether dolphins will appear more often in the Baltic Sea. This depends on many factors, including the condition and numbers of the dolphin population and the conditions in the sea. Given the deteriorating state of fish stocks and the strong human pressure on the Baltic Sea, this could be very difficult.
It is worth recalling that there is a native species of cetacean in the Baltic Sea – the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), which is a relative of the dolphin. Unfortunately, its situation is critical. This species is considered critically endangered in the Baltic Sea, and its population is currently estimated at only about 500 individuals.
Source: Fakt.pl, G.pl
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