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A recent incident suggests that grey seals may be responsible for the first known case of a common dolphin’s death in Welsh waters. A short-beaked common dolphin was found washed up on Newgale beach in Pembrokeshire, and marine researchers suspect a connection to a group of grey seals inhabiting the coastal area between Wales and southwestern England. This marks a notable development in understanding local marine predator-prey interactions.
Mat Westfield, who coordinates strandings for Marine Environmental Monitoring (MEM) in Wales, noted that similar incidents had recently been investigated by his colleagues in north Devon. He explained, “It’s the first recorded case in Wales and because it’s so close in distance to Devon we suspect that it’s just a small population of grey seals that are doing this, and operating in that area.” Grey seals are already known to occasionally prey on harbour porpoises, but this appears to be the first record involving common dolphins specifically.
The dolphin discovered was an adult female measuring approximately six feet (1.84 meters) in length. It exhibited “corkscrew” injuries, a pattern characteristic of attacks by grey seals, along with bite marks on the pectoral fins and torn blubber consistent with seal predation. The deceased dolphin has been sent for further analysis, with tests that could take up to six months. Scientists hope to determine if any prior injury or illness may have made the dolphin more vulnerable to attack.
Grey seals generally consume fish, squid, and crustaceans, and adult males can be quite large, reaching lengths over 8 feet (2.5 meters) and weights exceeding 660 pounds (300 kilograms). Dr Izzy Langley from the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews explained that evidence is mounting for grey seals preying on a broader range of marine mammals than previously recognized, including harbour seals and now possibly harbour porpoises and common dolphins. Langley added that such predatory behavior seems restricted to certain adult male seals and may involve ambush tactics from below, surprising the dolphins, which do not appear to associate grey seals as a threat. This behavior might have developed from isolated aggressive interactions, eventually becoming a learned method to secure food
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