⁍ The number of dead seals found washed ashore on the coast of Namibia has risen to more than 7,000.

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⁍ Ocean Conservation Namibia said last week thousands of dead seal pups had washed ashore at Pelican Point peninsula.

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– The number of dead seals washing up on Namibia’s coast has risen to more than 7,000, a marine biologist tells Reuters. Last week, thousands of dead seal pups had washed ashore at Pelican Point peninsula, a tourist destination known for its colony of seals and school of dolphins. Naude Dreyer, a marine biologist at Ocean Conservation Namibia, said investigations in the past week had revealed a spike in the number of dead female adults. “What we have been observing is less freshly dead seal pups and a lot of dead female adults,” he said. He said investigations had mainly centered on the Pelican Point Beach, so the overall number of dead seals could be higher. Namibia’s Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources said last week it would send samples to South Africa to determine the cause of death. Dreyer said this had not yet been done because of the need to observe strict guidelines on shipping dangerous animal products. “We are trying our best to find answers given the complex nature of the investigations where we don’t even know what we are looking for,” he said.