New Jersey mass stranding leaves eight dolphins dead, expert theories on possible reasons discussed
SEA ISLE CITY, NEW JERSEY: Eight dolphins have died following a mass stranding at two beaches in New Jersey, according to the Sea Mammal Stranding Center. The stranded dolphin pod was discovered by Sea Island City beachgoers as they arrived on the coast late Tuesday morning, March 21.
Two of the dolphins died on a Sea Isle City beach while the remaining six were discovered in poor condition on a different beach a few blocks away. The six dolphins were put to death by the veterinarian at the Sea Mammal Stranding Center after it was determined they would not survive.
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Six dolphins were euthanized
"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."
"All eight dolphins have been transported to the NJ State Lab for immediate necropsies. 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 staff and veterinarian is currently on scene responding to a mass stranding event in Sea Isle City. A pod of eight Common dolphins has stranded, two of which have died at the time of this post. MMSC staff is being assisted by the Sea Isle City Police, Fire, EMS and Public Works Departments. We ask that the public please give the team space to do their work. We will provide updates when we have more information available, and our team is back from the scene," they added.
335 whales have washed up on the Atlantic Coast since 2017
Since February, at least six additional dolphins have washed ashore in New Jersey alone, and dozens of whales are regularly seen all over the Atlantic coast. Since the beginning of December, at least 16 stranded humpback whales have died on the area's beaches, making them the most commonly stranded species. Officials are still trying to figure out why they died.
Since 2017, at least 335 humpback, right, and minke whales have died after being washed up ashore on the East Coast. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 19 humpback whales were stranded on the US Atlantic Coast in 2022. By the end of February 2023, the number of stranded humpback whales on the East Coast had already surpassed 50% of the total for 2017, with at least 29 whales dying along the coast since December.
Possible theories on why the strandings occur
According to Dr. Vanessa Pirotta, a wildlife scientist at Macquarie University in Sydney, navigational error could cause some whales to become stranded, as per NPR. She said that the strandings could also be attributed to deep waters around land masses that are too remote. "It could be that these animals may have been fishing or transiting through the water and unfortunately came through a navigational hazard and ended up on the beach," Pirotta said.
Another theory, which Pirotta refers to as "misadventure," is that because pilot whales are very sociable, they might just follow a sick member that washes up on the shore. Additional causes of whale stranding include fleeing from predators, being startled by a noise, being hurt, or giving birth. "The key point here is that any animal involved in a stranding does not want to be stranded," Pirotta said. "There's a reason why it's happened, and we don't know why. Trying to work that out is still a massive mystery in the science world."