COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Nearly a hundred carcasses of turtles with throat and shell damage, as well as a dozen dead dolphins and a blue whale, have washed ashore in Sri Lanka since a container ship burned and sank. Ecologists believe the deaths were directly caused by the fire and release of hazardous chemicals while the X-Press Pearl burned for 12 days and sank last week. Government officials said the investigation was continuing. The fire started on the ship on May 20 and dead marine species started washing ashore days later. Sri Lanka’s seas and coast are home to five sea turtle species. March to June is the peak season for turtles to come ashore to lay eggs.
