Hundreds of Cormorants Found Dead on Black Sea Coast — Cause Remains a Mystery

More than 500 cormorants have been found dead along the Black Sea coast near Anapa over the past three days, with further cases reported in Novorossiysk, Sukko, Utrish, and Crimea.

The cause of the mass die-off remains unclear, as regional authorities have ruled out both oil contamination and infectious disease, offering no alternative explanation.

The first dead birds were discovered by volunteers responding to last year’s fuel oil spill after tanker accidents in the Black Sea. Several sick and weakened cormorants, unafraid of humans and behaving lethargically, were also found in the Temryuk district.

Environmentalists are considering two main theories: poisoning from lingering oil pollutants or an infectious disease targeting cormorants.

However, no traces of oil products have been detected on the birds, and laboratory tests reportedly found no evidence of hazardous or quarantinable infections. Some experts suggest that even if an infection is to blame, weakened immune systems from long-term toxin exposure may be a contributing factor.

Authorities have disposed of the dead birds, and veterinary officials continue to monitor the situation. Last year’s oil spill resulted in over 8,400 seabirds needing rescue along the Black Sea coast.