Specialists call to report mammal strandings in the Yucatan coastline

Merida, Yucatan.- So far this year, at least eight strandings of marine mammals have been reported in various ports of Yucatan.

The head of the Program for Research and Conservation of Marine Mammals of Yucatan (Picmmy), Raul Diaz Gamboa, explained that the number is lower than that recorded in previous years, so he presumes that this occurs because there are fewer people on the coast due to the pandemic.

“There have been few strandings, we don’t know if the pandemic situation is really reducing the flow of information or also the number of people on the coast,” he said.

“Surely, now that the summer season will increase the flow of people on the coast, we hope that, if there is a report, they will let us know,” he remarked.

The marine mammal specialist reminded that it is important that those who find a dead or alive specimen on the coast should report it to the authorities, who coordinate with specialists from organizations such as Picmmy to attend the stranding.

He detailed that all the reports so far are mainly dolphins that arrived dead to the coast, except for the case of the specimen found in San Crisanto -of which no more was known- because it was returned to the sea by the citizens.