A pair of stranded dolphins died in transport from St. Andrews State Park to Gulf World Marine Institute (GWMI) on Friday.
A mother and her calf were spotted in the “kiddie pool” in the park earlier Friday and had been there for several hours, GWMI stated in a press release. The GWMI Stranding Team, led by coordinator Secret Holmes-Douglas, responded to the call.
The deep-water animal normally isn’t found in shallow waters and GWMI officials noted the pair was responsive to human interaction and easily approachable, which also isn’t common. After consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service it was determined the best course of action would be to move the dolphins to GWMI for evaluation.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted in moving the dolphins from the beach to a transport vehicle. The dolphins died during transport. A necropsy will be performed and all samples taken will be sent to NOAA Fisheries for further testing, the GWMI reported.
