Rare occurrence in the Sea of Marmara! Scientists are investigating.

Moments were recorded by a mobile phone camera showing an adult dolphin repeatedly hitting a baby dolphin, leading to its death, off the coast of Kınalıada. Scientists published an article stating that the behavior of killing infants, referred to as 'Infanticide', has been documented very rarely among marine mammals worldwide.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Arda Tonay, a faculty member at Istanbul University’s Faculty of Aquatic Sciences and Vice President of the Turkish Marine Research Foundation (TÜDAV), stated that the footage was recorded by diver Fibay Korkmaz last August off the coast of Kınalıada. Tonay also noted that the Marmara Sea, where the recording took place, is an important marine mammal area, mentioning that species such as 'Bottlenose Dolphin', 'Common Dolphin', and 'Mako Shark' live in the Marmara.

"RARELY OBSERVED"

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Arda Tonay emphasized that the footage captured is one of the few instances documented worldwide, stating, "In the video recording, we see a Bottlenose Dolphin engaging in infanticide against a baby dolphin of its own species. It’s a 53-second video, very short; but it is a rare recording, a rare observation. 'Infanticide' is a behavior observed in animals. It has been documented in fish, amphibians (those living both in water and on land), birds, and mammals such as primates, lions, and bears. It is also seen in marine mammals, but as I mentioned, there are very few video recordings of this behavior worldwide." he said.

"WE THINK IT'S DONE TO INCREASE REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS"

Dr. Tonay stated, "'Why do they do it?', 'Why kill a baby?' can be asked. It is mostly thought to be done by males. The aim is to kill the baby so that the mother can mate with the male. Because a lactating female does not mate with another male. Therefore, we think this behavior is done to increase their own reproductive success," he said.

"A VERY IMPORTANT RECORD"

Tonay mentioned that the video first appeared on social media and then they reached diver Fibay Korkmaz, stating, "We obtained the footage. As a result, we wrote the scientific article. We shared this with the global public and the scientific community. As I said, it is a very important record. Because it provides us with unique information related to the biology, behavior, reproductive strategies, and social structures of animals. Nowadays, everything is being photographed and recorded on video. It is also a great thing that these images can be accessed. It is very important for our scientific studies that our citizens directly reach out to us when they capture such footage," he said.

Tonay also touched upon the observation being made in the Marmara Sea, stating, "The Marmara Sea is one of the important marine mammal areas. It is part of the Turkish Straits System. You may remember that in previous months, a behavior similar to 'Epimeletic' (where one individual helps or tries to protect another individual, whether alive or dead) was also recorded in this region. Observing these behaviors, about which we know little, here is certainly a great chance for us," he expressed.