The carcass of the cetacean on a beach in Jbeil, surrounded by children. Photo Michel Hallak.
A dead dolphin washed ashore Wednesday on a beach in Jbeil, (name north of Beirut), according to L'Orient Today's correspondent Michel Hallak.
Local residents alerted the authorities, who dispatched a team from the Ministry of Agriculture to examine the carcass and collect samples.
Photos obtained by L’Orient Today suggest the animal is a Risso’s dolphin, identifiable by its bulbous, rounded white head and body marked with white scars — features typical of the species. Risso’s dolphins are commonly found in the Mediterranean Sea.
This is not the first such incident. In April 2024, a dolphin washed up on a beach in Akkar, near the Kleyate airport in northern Lebanon. A team from the National Center for Marine Sciences, in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and Internal Security Forces, handled the case following a court order.
Two other dead dolphins were discovered on beaches in South Lebanon in 2023.
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