”DMAD helps me to develop my skills, knowledge and provides me with field experience” My name is Alyssa, I am 19 years old and come from the Netherlands. At the moment I am in my second year of my Bachelor of Animal Management at the Leeuwarden University of Applied Sciences. I have had a fondness for animals for as long as I can remember. Throughout the years I developed a special interest for marine mammals. A part of my education is a 5 months internship where I put my knowledge into practice, to improve myself and to get more experience in the field of research. DMAD gave me the great opportunity to come to an amazing country and learn more about the biology of cetaceans, applied methodology and how to do boat- and land surveys. DMAD helps me to develop my skills, knowledge and provides me with field experience. What I love about being here is that I get to know a lot of new people, seeing a lot of beautiful places and that I am able to have an insight into how a non-profit organisation operates.

On the evening of  Sunday, 17th February, Montenegro Dolphin Research were informed through our stranding network (SANCET) of a bottlenose dolphin stranded on the shores of Sveti Nikola Island of Budva, Montenegro.  The following morning a team from the project, led by British Dviers Marine Life Rescue- trained Lucy Abiss, travelled to Sveti Stefan with the aim of locating the dolphin and assessing the likely causes of its stranding. Despite the individual – identified as a juvenile, demonstrating early signs of decomposition, the team delineated that the dolphin had not undergone any physical injuries causing its death and that the markings seen were simply signs of decomposition. Although it is not clear what may have caused the death or stranding of the individual without further analysis through autopsy, it is possible that the time of the stranding coinciding with the current seismic activity in Montenegro, could be related. Alternatively, there is the possibility of the death being related to zoonotic viruses, previous storm related activities or other natural causes.  Read more about the incident here. In the event of discovering a stranded cetacean in Montenegro or Albania please contact the Montengro Dolphin Project. Details can be found here.