Riga residents ask: why have dolphins arrived in the Gulf of Riga?

Over the past weekend, dolphins were spotted in the Gulf of Riga, right by the Mangaļsala pier. This news surprised Riga residents, who are wondering whether the dolphins’ visit to our cold shores is an unusual phenomenon and whether these animals will stay here.

We turned to environmental protection expert Valdis Pilāts with this question.

"Bottlenose dolphins, or common dolphins, have been observed off the coast of Latvia; they can grow up to three metres long. The appearance of dolphins on our shores is not an anomaly. Like birds, dolphins have the ability to migrate throughout the world. Dolphins were spotted in Liepāja as early as January. We may assume that the dolphin spotted by the Mangaļsala pier was the same one, only this time accompanied by its mate, since two animals were observed. We will certainly never know whether this was the same dolphin spotted in Liepāja or whether several of these animals inhabit the waters off the Latvian coast. Marine animals are not numbered or fitted with chips. The only thing known is that a dolphin was also spotted near Zvejniekciems on 11 February. It is not known how long the dolphins will remain here.

Incidentally, in 2015 dolphins were also spotted in the Baltic near Klaipėda. Therefore, the appearance of dolphins in the Baltic Sea, which is nevertheless considered too cold for these animals to inhabit, is occasionally observed, although it is not a very common phenomenon."

Bottlenose dolphins, or common dolphins, inhabit the warm and temperate waters of the Pacific Ocean, ranging from southern Greenland and Norway to the latitudes of South Africa. Dolphins can be found not only in the warm waters of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, but also in the harsher waters of our Baltic Sea.

Bottlenose dolphins measure 2.3–3 metres in length, although they occasionally reach 3.6 metres. Their weight is 150–300 kg. These dolphins feed on fish.
Bottlenose dolphins are considered highly intelligent animals. Studies have shown that they can imitate humans, understand certain gestures and recognise themselves in a mirror, indicating the presence of self-awareness.