I'm a DVM working now in Portugal and I'm collaborating in the rehab of stranded dolphins in this country. I was born in Cape Verde, so I'm very aware of problems that are happening there. Right now I'm really shocked about a mass stranding of Melon Head Whales at Boavista Island, on Cape Verde the last November 18th during the night. 265 dolphins came ashore and stranded and died in spite of all the efforts made by the authorities and civilians. But the weird thing happened after: they buried all the dolphins before anyone could collect any organ or blood. Therefore no necropsy was performed. On the next day more 6 Melon Head Whales died and the biologist in charge at that island told to newspapers that when she came to the beach where they stranded, all the dolphins had been taken by people to be eaten, so she could not get any sample. The previous day the US nuclear submarine USS Annapolis (SSN760) departed from the S.Vicente Island that is one of the ten islands of Cape Verde. This submarine is there in charge against illegal immigration and drug traffic. By this time we don't have any explanation from the authorities or from the US Navy or any effort are in progress to find out the true. That appear to be too much coincidence and there are many strandings around the world related to such coincidence. All of us are aware of the bad consequences of military sonar and cetaceans, specially to "deep divers". I would like to ask if anybody has information connecting submarine sonar to cetaceans. Thank you for your help. Best regards. Salvador St.Aubyn Mascarenhas, DVM