Eight dolphins that washed ashore Tuesday in Sea Isle City, Jersey Shore, have died leaving veterinarians scratching their heads, why.
Pod of Dolphins Die on Jersey Shore
On Tuesday, a mass stranding occurred in Sea Isle City on the Jersey Shore resulting in the death of a group of eight dolphins.
“It’s very sad,” Bob Woofe, of Sea Isle City, said.
Initially, six dolphins were found alive and two died.
When the veterinarian from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center arrived, two of the dolphins were already deceased, whereas the remaining six received treatment but unfortunately did not survive.
Beachgoers Seek Help
Tim Ramsey, who called 911, spotted the six that were still alive when they washed upon the shore.
“Six big dolphins flapping around on the beach and I was kind of stunned for 30 seconds or so,” Ramsey said. “And watched ’em for less than a minute, called the police.”
“Their conditions were rapidly deteriorating,” the MMSC said in a statement on social media. “The decision was made to humanely euthanize the dolphins to prevent further suffering, as returning them to the ocean would have only prolonged their inevitable death.”
Authorities are investigating on what may have caused the deaths. Beach-goers attempted to keep the dolphins alive by pouring buckets of water on them.
Dolphins Aren’t the Only Marine Life Washed Ashore Lately
“All eight dolphins have been transported to the NJ State Lab for immediate necropsies,” the MMSC said. “We share in the public’s sorrow for these beautiful animals, and hope that the necropsies will help us understand the reason for their stranding.”
“I know that there’s been a lot of marine life that has washed up on shore and I think what would be best is to find the actual root cause,” Nicole Ragucci, a Sea Isle City resident, said.
Ragucci says she saw 30 to 50 dolphins swimming in the ocean right before some washed upon the shore.
“To see them in their natural habitat seemingly having a wonderful time to now the whole family or the whole pod is here just really shocking,” Ragucci said.
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