A New England-based marine mammal rescue group was surprised earlier this month when its team found that a young dolphin rarely, if ever, seen in the area washed ashore at a New Hampshire beach.
The dead female striped dolphin that rescuers found on July 14 on Hampton Beach was a weanling, meaning it was so young that it had only recently stopped nursing from its mother. It was the first time that a rescue team with the Seacoast Science Center had ever encountered the species of dolphin since it began rescue operations in 2014, the organization said in a Friday Facebook post.
Although the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that striped dolphins are among the most abundant and widespread dolphins found in the world, the rescue group said the species is not known to inhabit New England. The species, which travels in groups of 25-100, prefers deep tropical and temperate oceanic waters, as well as areas where deep, nutrient-rich water rises toward the surface, according to the NOAA.
Lifeguards at Hampton Beach were the first to spot the dead striped dolphin and alert the Seacoast Science Center’s marine mammal rescue team. The dolphin had no visible external wounds, though rescuers noted that seagulls had begun to scavenge its head by the time they arrived.
The team collected swabs to test for diseases and transported the dolphin to the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory for a necropsy to determine how it died.
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In the United States, striped dolphins can be found off the west coast, in the northwestern Atlantic, and in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the NOAA. But in the Facebook post, the rescue group noted that the appearance of the dolphin on the beach left them perplexed.
“Striped dolphins will occasionally venture to our (New Hampshire) coasts during the summer months when the waters are warmer,” the post read. “However, seeing a striped dolphin stranded is uncommon for this species.”
Though rarely seen, striped dolphins have been observed breaching and leaping more than 20 feet above the surface of the water. The species is known for vigorously rotating its tail when airborne, which the NOAA said is a unique behavior known as “roto-tailing.”
Striped dolphins in the United States aren’t endangered or threatened, but do face threats from disease, hunting, and entanglement in fishing nets. Like all marine mammals, they are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, according to the NOAA.
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In the post, the group reminded people to stay at least 150 feet away from washed-up whales, dolphins, porpoises and seals and to call the center’s hotline at 603-997-9448.
Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @EricLagatta.
