According to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, 8 dolphins died after washing ashore in a mass stranding at two New Jersey beaches.
Two of the dolphins died on a beach in Sea Isle City on Tuesday, while the other six were discovered in poor condition on another beach a few blocks away.
The six dolphins were euthanized by the Marine Mammal Stranding Center’s veterinarian after it was determined that they were in pain and would not survive.
“The remaining six dolphins were assessed by our veterinarian and their conditions were rapidly deteriorating,” the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said in a statement. “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.”
The dolphins were discovered on the beaches of 50th and 52nd Streets on Tuesday, and the public was warned to stay away from the mammals while they were being evaluated. Police and rescue personnel blanketed the dolphins and poured ocean water on them for hours until the Marine Mammal Stranding Center arrived.
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The necropsies of all 8 dolphins will be performed at the New Jersey State Lab to determine what happened.
“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,” the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said.
Tuesday’s stranding was the largest to wash up on New Jersey’s coast this year. Last month, a deceased dolphin washed up on the 50th Street beach and three others were found stranded off Sandy Hook.
