Stranded dolphin dies

Dominique Ficalora and her neighbor, Gianna came out to pet the dolphin that was swimming in the East Rockaway Channel.

Courtesy Gianna Ficalora

A wayward dolphin was reported swimming in the East Rockaway channel.

Courtesy Gianna Ficalora

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A young male common dolphin that was rescued from the marshes off of Bay Park by The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation succumbed within an hour of arriving at the foundation’s hospital facilities in Riverhead.

“We got a call on Friday evening that there was a dolphin sighting near Marjorie Lane in Bay Park,” said biologist Kimberly Durham, the foundation’s rescue program director. The caller had seen it three hours before, Durham said, so the foundation wasn’t sure if it was still in the area. “We asked them to call back in the morning and they did — and it was still free-swimming then.” Durham sent a response team out to investigate because, she said, “this is not an area that we would expect to see this species.”

With the help of the Nassau County Police Marine Bureau, members of the team spotted the animal beached in a foot of water on the marshes, yards away from the shore. Seeing the animal was in distress, so we secured the animal to take him in.” Durham said that people had reported seeing the dolphin on the rocks earlier, and some had seen it nearer to the beach, and were petting it. Unfortunately, Durham said, they didn’t report the sighting. “These sightings are unusual in this area, and people should call us when they do see an unusual animal.”

An autopsy was performed on Monday, revealing the cause of death as a parasite that eventually caused brain lesions and brain damage — and, in turn, disorientation. “We’ve seen this in mass strandings,” said Durham. “And this type of dolphin may be seen in large groups off of Jones Beach — but never [in Bay Park]. “He wasn’t caring for himself, he wasn’t feeding. He was banged up, he had cuts and abrasions and skin damage.”

“I have been living on Ocean Harbor Drive in Oceanside my whole life and this was the first time I’ve seen a dolphin swimming in the East Rockaway Channel,” said Gianna Ficalora, 20. “It seemed to get caught on the rocks, and I helped to move it away … it was swimming toward where there were people on the [East Rockaway] side.” Ficalora said that she has seen harbor seals once in a while, but this was the first time she spotted a dolphin.

Durham urges the public to call the The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation Hotline if they see marine life that is not usually in their area. “Even if they’re healthy, we can document them and their movements. We are the only team like this in the state.”

The The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation hotline number is 24-Hour Stranding Hotline is (631) 369-9829; their office phone is (63) 369-9840. Their website is www.riverheadfoundation.org