Cetaceans of Dawhat ad-Dafi and Dawhat al-Musallamiya (Saudi Arabia) one year after the Gulf War oil spill

Daniel Robineau & Pierre Fiquet

A b s t r a c t: One year after the Gulf War oil spill no evidence was found of any abnormal cetacean mortality in the two bays studied. Furthermore, a small population of humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) was discovered in this previously highly polluted area, and with reference to what is known on this species in other regions of the world, the number of these animals does not appear to be unusual. This raises the hypothesis that most of the dolphins living in the bays before the spill were able to swim away and escaped the effects of the oil.

GERACI, J.R. 1990. Physiologic and toxic effects on cetaceans. In: Sea mammals and oil. Geraci, J.R & St. Aubin, D.J (eds): 167-197. San Diego, Academic Press.
HENNINGSEN, T. & CONSTANTINE, R 1992. Cetaceans in the Persian Gulf: after the war. Sixth Annual Conference of the European Cetacean Society, San Remo, Italy. Abstracts: 42.
NEFF, J.M. 1990. Composition and fate of petroleum and spill-treating agents in the marine environment. In: Sea mammals and oil. Geraci, J.R & St. Aubin, D.J (eds): 1-33. San Diego, Academic Press.
PREEN, A.R.G. 1987. Dugong, dolphins and porpoises. In: Mammals of the southern Gulf. Gross, C. (ed.): 74-77. Dubai, Motivate Publishing.
PREEN, A.R.G. 1989. The status and conservation of dugongs in the Arabian region. Vol. 1. MEPA Coastal & Marine Management Series, Report 10: 1-200.
PREEN, A.R.G. 1991. Gulf War oil spill. Sirenews 16: 13-15.
ROBINEAU, D. & ROSE, lM. 1984. Les cetaces de Djibouti. Bilan des connaissances actuelles sur la faune cetologique de la mer Rouge et du golfe d'Aden. Bulletin du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris (4) 6 (A 1): 219-249.
SAAYMAN, G.S. & TAYLER, C.K. 1979. The socioecology of humpback dolphins (Sousa sp.) In: Behavior of marine mammals. Winn, H.E. & Olla, B.L. (eds). 3: 165-226. New York, Plenum Press.
WÜRSIG, B. 1990. Cetacean and oil. In: Sea mammals and oil. Geraci, J.R & St. Aubin, D.J. (eds): 129-165. San Diego, Academic Press.