FWC investigating death of young dolphin off Fort Myers Beach

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This young dolphin, believed to be less than one-month-old, washed up stranded on Fort Myers Beach over the weekend. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the cause of his death. Photo by Monica Lynn

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission collected the body of a baby dolphin who washed ashore on Fort Myers Beach over the weekend. The FWC is investigating the cause of death. Photo by Monica Lynn

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This male baby dolphin was believed to be less than a month old and weighing about 35 pounds when it washed ashore on Fort Myers Beach on Saturday. The FWC collected the dead dolphin Saturday morning and is still investigating its death. Photo by Monica Lynn.

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This young dolphin, believed to be less than one-month-old, washed up stranded on Fort Myers Beach over the weekend. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the cause of his death. The FWC does not believe the male neonate (baby) was struck by a boat, as there were no apparent marks indicating any type of vessel strike. Photo by Monica Lynn

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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the death of a young dolphin who washed up on Fort Myers Beach over the weekend.

The dolphin, believed to be less than one-month-old, was found stranded on the shore of Fort Myers Beach at about 8 a.m. on Saturday. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) arrived at about 9:50 a.m. to collect the body of the baby dolphin from the north side of the island.

According to the FWC, there were no clear signs that the dolphin had been struck by a boat.

“There were no obvious signs of vessel interaction,” said Kelly Richmond, of the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute.

Richmond said the dolphin was a male neonate (less than one-year-old) measuring approximately 3.2 feet long and weighing 35 pounds.

“Based on the presence of rostral hairs, the animal was likely less than one month old,” Richmond said.

A necropsy did not reveal the cause of stranding or death. Samples were collected for additional testing, including pathology, infectious disease, toxicology, ecology and life history analyses. Results from this testing can take several weeks to months to become available, Richmond said.

“There were vertical fetal fold lines present on both sides of the dolphin. Fetal lines are retained for a few months after birth from being folded in utero and this also indicates the young age of the dolphin,” Richmond said.

To report a stranded, injured, or dead marine mammal (such as a dolphin, whale, or manatee) in Florida, contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-FWCC (3922).