Mystery Mass Die-Off of Endangered Caspian Seals Along Dagestan Shore
A devastating discovery on the coast of Dagestan has revealed the bodies of 484 dead Caspian seals, according to the regional Ministry of Natural Resources. Authorities have launched an extensive investigation and are surveying the surrounding shoreline to determine what caused the sudden mass death of the endangered marine mammals.
Scientists Examine Possible Gas-Related Asphyxiation
The ministry reports that the leading theory for such large-scale seal mortality during migration is asphyxiation caused by passing through areas of powerful natural gas emissions linked to seismic activity. These underwater gas outbursts can envelop migrating animals in pockets of low oxygen, creating fatal conditions.
"Scientific research conducted over the past several years does not support infection as a primary cause,” the ministry noted.
An Endangered Species Under Growing Threat
The Caspian seal, the only mammal native to the Caspian Sea, is officially listed as an endangered species and appears in the conservation registries of all five Caspian nations: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan. The species has faced decades of population decline due to habitat degradation, pollution, and the increasing frequency of unexplained die-offs such as the one now unfolding on the Dagestan coast.
