In just one week, a dead dolphin has been found every day in the region of Lake Tefé, in the Amazon. Last Wednesday, the carcass of a baby dolphin was discovered on the sandy shore of the lake, exposed by the receding waters due to the drought in the region.
In 2023, more than 200 animals of the endangered species died in Lake Tefé, a tributary of the Solimões River, due to the high water temperature.
Last week we had an average of one per day,” said Miriam Marmontel, head of the research project on Amazonian aquatic mammals at the Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development.
For now, experts do not see a link between the high water temperatures and the death of the animals.
“We are not yet associating it with changes in water temperature, with excessive temperatures, but with the exacerbation of proximity between human populations, mainly fishermen, and animals,” assessed Miriam.
According to her, the lake environment is very restricted and becomes even shallower during the drought. “The channel is two meters deep, perhaps 100 meters wide at most. And all the animals are concentrated in this area and it is through this same channel that all the vessels that are accessing Tefé pass. From a small boat to a large, heavy raft.”
In any case, according to Miriam Marmontel, the water temperature has been constantly monitored.
“Normally, the lake varies – throughout the year – between 22 and 32 degrees. We have already monitored or documented temperatures this morning of 27 degrees. Between four and six in the afternoon, the peak temperature, we have already recorded 38 °C. So, that is already a large variation, of 10 degrees Celsius in twelve hours, which is a very sudden variation.”
(*With information from Reuters)
This content was originally published in With severe drought, dolphins are found dead in the Amazon on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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