Dolphin #3 Found Dead on Christmas Day

Another dolphin is found dead in Sea Bright after having been deemed “healthy” by the NOAA just a week earlier. This dolphin was a pregnant female who had stopped eating. It’s too early to confirm if the dolphin was ill or if food supplies are running low. This is the 3rd dolphin to be sent off to the University of PA Veterinary School for an autopsy. 

Bob Schoelkopf, co-director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, notes the dolphins now have a roommate: A harbor seal frolicking in the southern end of the Shrewsbury River in the Monmouth Beach area. It’s suggested this may be a sign that the eatin’ is still good in the river. Should this also be a sign of shark presence as well?

After hearing arguments to leave the dolphins vs. escort them out of the river, I sit on the fence for the most part – except that the Navesink & Shrewsbury rivers can freeze solid.

On the positive side, examples of dolphins over wintering in various rivers (including Scotland) show that dolphins can withstand much colder temperatures than we realized. 

But in the end this “river freezing over thing” is the game changer for me. On the NOAA’s story time list of “Happy Dolphins Over Wintering in A Happy Snowy River” stories there are also some very tragic ones where entire pods have frozen to death – as in right here in our own rivers in 1993. 

Then there’s the tragedy in Matagorda Bay, Texas, where a sudden freeze killed 26 dolphins in January 1990. It was determined the freeze had killed off their food supply as well.

The latest in for the “Escorting The Dolphins Back to Sea” camp:

- Multiple dolphin rescue groups with high success rates in dolphin transport/stranding have offered their services to the NOAA to assist in escorting the dolphins out. The NOAA has declined.

- The Rt. 36 bridge contractor has offered to cease construction for 2 weeks, giving the dolphins time to make it out on their own if it is indeed the construction noise keeping them from exiting. Why has this not happened?

- Our Senator and Congressman are both concerned about the pod and would like to see them rescued. Why isn’t anything else being done?

This year seems a cold one, and although I’m not usually a bettin’ gal, I’m betting “ice” this year. Great for ice boaters. Bad for dolphins.

Should the dolphins be removed or should we cross our fingers and hope for the best? Which camp are you and why?

If anyone has any pictures of our dolphins they’d like to post here you can send them to me at crazydolphinlady@gmail.com