The recent tanker disaster in the Kerch Strait has led to a significant oil spill, severely impacting marine life along the coast. Reports indicate that six dead dolphins have washed ashore near Novorossiysk, with a total of 11 dolphins and 143 birds confirmed dead since the incident on December 15.
Thousands of volunteers are currently engaged in cleanup efforts, having rescued 875 birds, although many are in weakened states, and survival rates are uncertain.
The Black Sea is home to three endangered dolphin species: the Black Sea bottlenose dolphin, the white-sided dolphin, and the Azov dolphin. Oil poses a grave threat to these animals, as they can ingest contaminated fish or become trapped in oil slicks, leading to hypoxia and suffocation.
Environmental experts estimate that it will take at least 1.5 years to fully clean the coast of the Krasnodar region from the oil. Meanwhile, heavy hydrocarbons will settle on the seabed, gradually harming the ecosystem.
Cleanup operations continue, with 8,500 volunteers, including military personnel, working to remove oil from the beaches. Efforts have also begun on the opposite shore in Crimea, where several oil spill points have been identified.
Volunteers report a lack of equipment, protective clothing, and water, expressing concerns that the situation is worse than local authorities suggest. They describe challenges in effectively removing oil from the sand, with oil seeping through bags and conditions worsening during high tide.