This dolphin carcass was discovered washed ashore in Izmir, on the west coast of Turkey, on Monday by a gymnastics teacher, Tugrul Metin.
The dolphin carcass is about the size of a 1-year-old calf, about 3.2ft in length (equivalent to nearly 1m). It has two heads but only one tail. “I noticed the dolphin in the sea and saw it when it washed up on the beach.”
“I couldn’t recognize it at first. I thought my vision was fooling me. I’ve never heard of a two-headed dolphin like this, I was completely shocked.”
Mr. Metin called the police and they transported the dolphin to a laboratory for further study.
Early reports indicate that the eyes on one of the dolphin’s heads failed to open – nor was it one of the vents.
Associate Professor Mehmet Gokoglu from the Department of Marine Biology at Ak Deniz University said he was delighted to have had the opportunity to study this strange dolphin. rarity similar to the occurrence of conjoined twins in humans”.