On Tuesday we retrieved three dead common dolphins from an area where the French pair trawl fleet had earlier been operating. There were two juvenile male dolphins and one female - all had their bellies slit open and viscera hanging out.

Upon examination we found water pouring from their blowholes, which is indicative of drowning. The tips of their beaks were red raw, with total skin loss in some areas; there were sliced lips, deep grooves in the beak and each had missing or broken teeth. There were many fresh cuts and abrasions over prominent regions and other areas of the body. Lacerated flukes, flippers and dorsal fins are further evidence that these dolphins had been entangled in fishing gear.

The highest temperature among the three was 26ºC - well above the ambient sea water temperature recorded at the time. The temperatures we recorded may well have been higher had the dolphins not been cut open because sea water would have entered their body cavity and sped up the cooling process. I would estimate, based on the their body temperatures, the time of death would have been a matter of hours prior to our finding them.

Furthermore based on the proximity of their bodies to one another and the similarities of the cuts in their bellies it is reasonable to suggest that they were killed in the same haul.

The dolphins have now been stored in a freezer and are awaiting future post mortem investigations on land.

Marijke, WDCS scientist

Hi crew,
The sad story about the cut open dolphins was covered in one of Sweden's biggest papers with a full page article and photo.

Thanks for trying to stop this awful trawling activity.

Ann