dolphin

Dolphin dies after being found stranded on Galveston Seawall

Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Dolphin dies after being found stranded on Galveston Seawall

Photos show the stranded dolphin and the effort to save it. Here's what to do if you see a stranded dolphin.

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- It was a difficult morning for rescuers who tried to save a dolphin that died after it was found alive and stranded on the Galveston Seawall Wednesday.

Galveston Police Dispatch first discovered the live female bottlenose dolphin in the 1200 block of Seawall Boulevard around 3:45 a.m. and called Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network's stranding hotline.

Galveston Police Department officers and Texas Game Warden Austin Shoemaker were able to stabilize the mammal until the stranding network's critical care team arrived.

Sadly, the dolphin was found in very poor condition and didn't survive, the network said, adding that it was proud of everyone who came together that early in the morning to "ensure she was as comfortable as possible in her last moments and did not have to suffer from drowning, predation, or worse."

A full necropsy is planned to determine more about the dolphin's condition and cause of stranding.

If you find a live dolphin in Texas, you can report it to Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network's 24-hour hotline at at 1-800-9MAMMAL (962-6625).

The group says you should not push the dolphin back into the water. It's likely that when dolphins strand, it's for a reason such as illness or being orphaned, requiring the mammal to be assessed.