Russian investigators said Saturday they were looking into a “potential ecological catastrophe” in the eastern Kamchatka region, with some of the dead sea creatures washed into one of the bays and surfers reported burns to their eyes and throats.
Images of dead seals, octopuses, starfish and arches on Khalkatsky Beach in Avacha Bay have been shared on social media for days.
Surfers in the area have also complained that the sea had an unnatural smell and color.
The local government of the region, known for its pristine beaches and volcanic black sand, shared a video of a surfer, Anton Morozov, on Sunday.
He said many surfers have chemical burns in their eyes, adding that he has not seen anything like it in 15 years.
“We need to understand what will happen to our health, to the health of animals.”
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Her fellow surfer Natalia Danilova said in an Instagram post on Friday that she was diagnosed with a chemical burn in the cornea after spending time in the water in the bay.
Danilova said she had been surfing the area since August, but three weeks ago she began to struggle with her vision. She added that other people in her surfing group had similar symptoms, while some were having trouble breathing.
Officials did not post a warning in the area and no official explanation was given as to what the cause was, he said.
NBC News has not been able to verify its claims.
Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement on Saturday that it had sent a team to the region to investigate the mass deaths of marine mammals and “possible ecological extinction.”
The committee said there have been reports of concentrations of oil products and phenols in the oil coastal waters from an unknown source.
“Experts have taken samples of seawater, air and sand, as well as other testing activities aimed at establishing all the conditions of the incident,” the statement said.
In a series of videos posted on his Instagram page on Friday, Kamchatka Governav. Vladimir Solodov said the environmental situation on Khalakatsky Beach was a “cause for serious concern”.
The very next day, he posted another video on the social media site, asking surfers to seek medical help if exposed. He said additional water, sand and animal samples from the area were sent to Moscow for analysis. The regional government said preliminary results are expected on Monday.
Thanking local bloggers and surfers for warning authorities about the situation in an Instagram video on Sunday, Solodov said the seawater color in the area has turned nice and there are no stains on the water that would be indicative of oil spills.
However, the Russian branch of the environmental group Greenpeace Tweeted on Saturday An “environmental disaster” erupted in Kamchatka at night and called for an immediate investigation.
Vasily Yablokov, head of the climate project with Greenpeace Russia, said in a statement on the organization’s website that the unique nature of UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage Kamchatka is at risk.
He added, “One of the best beaches for surfing in Russia, one of the main tourist attractions of the region is life-threatening and it is questionable on the development of the region’s tourism potential.”
