Navy in live firing before dolphin stranding deaths

The Royal Navy was carrying out live firing exercises hours before 26 dolphins died after beaching themselves in apparent panic, the UK's Ministry of Defence said today.

Marine experts have said they cannot explain why the pod of dolphins beached themselves at four separate locations around the Percuil river near Falmouth, Cornwall.

They said it is one of the worst cases of mass stranding ever in the UK and the animals could have been panicked by “an underwater disturbance”.

The dolphins were found dead early yesterday morning and the MoD said there was no live firing after midday on Sunday.

The exercises in Falmouth Bay involved both surface ships and a submarine.

A spokeswoman for the MoD said: “There has been a submarine on exercise in the area recently.

“There was no live firing between midday on Sunday and midday on Monday.

“There was no live firing from a submarine.”

Falmouth Coastguard said there was “heavy” Royal Navy activity in the Falmouth Bay area.

The coastguard said: “There has been continual live firing exercises up until yesterday evening when the exercise was cancelled.”

It is understood that the live firing exercises have been on-going for two to three weeks and were carried out during the day and through the night.

British Divers Marine Life Rescue, who coordinated the rescue of several dolphins, said they have also received reports from the public that an explosion took place at sea over the weekend.

The MoD spokeswoman said they are not aware of any explosion.