In the Tupkaragan district of the Mangystau region, carcasses of dead seals have been discovered on the coast of the Caspian Sea. According to preliminary data, the animals died more than a month ago, and they were washed ashore by a stormy westerly wind.
HOW THE DEAD ANIMALS WERE DISCOVERED
According to the Fisheries Committee, staff of the RSE 'Kaspiy itbalygy', together with the Zhaiyk-Caspian Interregional Basin Fisheries Inspectorate and local executive bodies, were monitoring the coast. During a survey of the area in the Tupkaragan district, the carcasses of seals washed ashore on the Caspian Sea were found.
HOW MANY SEALS HAVE BEEN FOUND
As of 11:00 on 17 April 2026, 97 carcasses of dead seals had been identified on the coast within the district. It is clarified that they were cast ashore as a result of westerly winds.
WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN
In accordance with the Rules for providing assistance to prevent the threat of mass death of aquatic animals, a working group has travelled to the site. It includes representatives from:
- RSE 'Kaspiy itbalygy'
- the Fisheries Inspectorate
- the Akimat of Tupkaragan district
- the Internal Affairs Department of Tupkaragan district
- the Department of Ecology of Mangystau region
- the Veterinary Control and Supervision Inspectorate
- the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology
- the Caspian Seal Study and Rehabilitation Centre
- the Republican Association of Fisheries and Aquaculture 'Qazaq balyk'
Specialists are taking samples from the dead animals to establish the preliminary causes of their death, and are also organising the disposal of the carcasses.
PRELIMINARY DATA ON THE TIME OF DEATH
According to staff of the Institute of Hydrobiology and Ecology, the seals died more than a month ago. However, they were only washed ashore now — due to the westerly storm wind.
Monitoring of the Caspian Sea coast is ongoing.
CONTEXT
Mass deaths of Caspian seals in the region have been recorded previously.
Specifically, from 29 March to 25 April 2024, 182 seal carcasses were found on the coast, and between late October and mid-November, more than 1,000 carcasses were washed ashore. In some cases, it was noted that some of the animals may have been carried to the coast after storms.
In January 2025, the head of a laboratory at the scientific centre for microbiology and virology, Aydyn Kydyrmanov, stated that a virus had been detected in the tissues of the dead seals. According to him, this could be a viral neuroinfection, although it is also noted in the materials that such diseases remain poorly understood.
In November 2025, specialists from the Department of Ecology of Mangystau region discovered 112 carcasses of Caspian seals on the coast near the settlements of Fort-Shevchenko and Bautino. At that time, seawater samples were taken for analysis of possible factors, but the causes of death were not specified in the materials.