Coast guard officials stand next to dolphins' caracasses on the shore of Pimentel Beach in Chiclayo, Peru. (AP /Nestor Salvatierra)

Peruvian environmental organization ORCA has blamed offshore oil drilling for the deaths of more than 800 dolphins that have washed up on the country’s coast in the past few weeks. According to the group’s report, seismic activity caused by undersea drilling explosions damaged the dolphins’ sensitive ears, causing them to surface too quickly and killing them from decompression sickness (“the bends”). This conclusion was based upon the discovery of bubbles inside the dolphins’ cells.

The government has rejected this assertion and still classifies the deaths as unexplained.