The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement asks the public for any information about a dead dolphin recently found on Fort Myers Beach, Florida on March 24.
Local news outlet The Free Press reported that the agency wanted to know who caused the mysterious death of the bottlenose dolphin that died from a brutal stabbing in the head by a spear-like object based on the necropsy results. The dolphin was found in a begging position, suggesting that it it was illegally fed.
This photograph taken on February 14, 2022, in Les Sables d'Olonne Western France,shows a dead dolphin during a demonstration by members of marine conservation organisation Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS)to denounce non-selective fishing.
Dolphin Brutally Stabbed in the Head
NOAA has called its stranding network partner, the Florida Fish, and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), to recover the animal's carcass from the shore for an autopsy to determine its cause of death.
Upon conducting the necropsy, an autopsy for animals, they identified the wound above the animal's right eye was inflicted before it died. The bottlenose dolphin was an adult lactating female who appeared to have died from the trauma that occurred at or near its time of death, which means it suffere a slow death rather than quickly.
Feds Seek Information On Dolphin Found Stabbed On Florida Beach https://t.co/ZuZwS04Ehe pic.twitter.com/X0f9r5EHFi
— Jeffrey J Davis (@JeffreyJDavis) April 21, 2022
Authorities have been monitoring violent incidents toward dolphins in the Gulf of Mexico as they continue to increase each year. There are at least 27 dolphins recorded since 2002 that have been stranded with evidence of being shot with guns or impaled with sharp objects.
Wildlife experts warn that harassing, harming, and even feeding dolphins are prohibited under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Violations in the prohibitions of this act can be prosecuted with civil or criminal charges and are fined up to $100,000 with up to one-year imprisonment.
NOAA said that the dolphin recently recovered had its mouth open, a position dolphins practice when asking for food from humans. The agency discourages people from feeding marine mammals because of the dangers it brings. They call out those with knowledge regarding the recent mysterious death of the dol
Begging Position of Dolphins Not A Natural Behavior
As per the report of Yahoo! begging is not a natural behavior for dolphins and is mainly linked to illegal feeding by humans. Wildlife experts remind people that feeding marine mammals could put them at risk of boat strikes, getting entangled with fishing lines, and being injured by propellers because they will approach the boat.
A small study titled "Persistent Effects of Begging on Common Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) Behavior in an Estuarine Population," published in 2016 in the journal Aquatic Mammals, showed that dolphins who begged for food spent a significantly little time foraging compared to those who do not beg for food.
More so, researchers found that dolphins who begged tend to travel more than non-beggars. These behaviors indicate that illegally feeding them has altered their natural behavioral patterns. Dolphins that learn to beg will stop hunting.
NOAA's Southeast Regional Office marine mammal chief Laura Engelby told local Fort Myers station WBBH-TV that once dolphins learn to beg, they will stop hunting and teach it to other dolphins. The habit will be passed down to their babies.
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