The Arrecife City Council activated the protocol this Friday morning, March 8, following the stranding of a dolphin next to the San Gabriel Castle in the capital of Lanzarote.
The Councilor for Beaches and Environment, Davinia Déniz, has reported that after her department became aware of the stranding of a striped dolphin, the presence of technicians from the Island Council's Environment Department and personnel from the Secac (Canary Society for the Study of Cetaceans in the Canary Islands) was requested.
Davinia Déniz recalled that "thirty species of cetaceans have been recorded in the Canary Islands, and they are protected by regional, national, and European regulations." Now, according to the protocol for strandings in Canary Islands waters, "this mammal will be removed from this beach area in the capital of Lanzarote" and "a necropsy will be performed on this dolphin, of the species Stenella coeruleoalba, to determine the possible causes of its stranding."
The presence of marine mammals in the waters surrounding the Canary Islands is very common. These latitudes are one of their natural habitats in the North Atlantic.
The City Council will develop new initiatives in 2024 to raise awareness among the resident population about the natural values of the Arrecife marina and promote knowledge of marine flora and fauna. These actions have scheduled activities starting next week, with a project undertaken by the Department of Beaches and Environment.
