Beached dolphins' deaths are under investigation

World Conservation Union experts inspect coastlines in Iran's southern Hormozgan province as part of a probe into recent dolphin deaths. "Two World Conservation Union experts have inspected 200km of Hormozgan coastlines," said the province's marine life deputy, Mojtaba Fadakar.

"The experts, who arrived here two days ago to find out what caused the dolphin deaths on the Persian Gulf coasts, have said the data they gathered must be analyzed before any theory on the event can be announced," he added. Almost a month ago, up to 70 dolphins that had beached themselves on the coast of the southeastern port of Jask perished after all attempts to rescue them failed.

The incident was very similar to one that had occurred around a month earlier in the same area.

Reports vary on the cause of the incident.The Jask coastline and the Persian Gulf waters in eastern Hormozgan are among the country's cleanest areas; therefore the incidents could not have been attributed to pollution, Fadakar said, adding, "International experts agree with regional marine biologists on that point."

The two Spanish and British IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) experts are to announce their findings after analyzing the collected data in their home countries.