Rare species of dolphins recorded off Fujairah

Over a four-day period, four different cetacean species have been identified, one of which, the Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) has only been recorded in the UAE twice before

New aerial and boat surveys offshore Fujairah have shed new light on the presence of cetaceans (whales and dolphins) off the UAE’s East Coast, according to the Fujairah Whale and Dolphin Research Project.

Operating under the patronage of the Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, the research is jointly undertaken by the Port of Fujairah and Five Oceans Environmental Services. It is the only project in the region which focuses research specifically on marine mammals in deep, offshore waters.

The 2021 survey season, which began earlier this month, has so far included multiple aerial surveys and boat surveys in waters between 10 and 30 nautical miles offshore Fujairah.

Over a four-day period, four different cetacean species have been identified, one of which, the Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) has only been recorded in the UAE twice before, both times in Fujairah by the same team in April 2017. These are the only live sightings of the species anywhere in the Arabian region in the past twenty years, according to a press release from the team. It is unknown whether Striped Dolphins are genuinely rare in the region, or whether they simply spend all of their time far offshore, where people rarely venture.