Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have launched an investigation after the body of a female dolphin was found with a single stab wound above her right eye on a local beach.
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The bottlenose dolphin was found washed ashore at Fort Myers Beach on March 24 and a necropsy conducted by the FFWCC revealed the adult female dolphin was lactating while she was stabbed by a “spear-like” object above her right eye. Officials said they believe the marine animal was attacked while in a “begging position” which is often associated with illegal feeding as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
The NOAA strictly advises people, not hand-feed dolphins as it can cause them to associate food with people, boats, and fishing gear. Additionally, it can lead to a harmful situation involving humans and dolphins.
A dolphin was stabbed in the head with a spear-like object …
It washed up on the beach after it died. And people are pissed. @winknews pic.twitter.com/kPQaSOAhnd
— Michael Hudak (@HudakTV) April 14, 2022
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“People can help prevent future harm to wild dolphins by not feeding or attempting to feed them. Dolphins fed by people learn to associate people, boats, and fishing gear with food, which puts dolphins and people in harmful situations.”
This dolphin was still lactating nursing her baby. Now the baby will starve to death. Friendly dolphin reached up for a pat on the head and was savagely stabbed in her head by a f**kin lunatic. I hope that AH gets caught, arrested, sentenced & suffers. https://t.co/5qRcSXcZOB
— Real2u (@Real2u3) April 15, 2022
Some nut stabbed and murdered a dolphin on beach!
Im not their biggest fan but thats going too far
— Fed (@FedFren) April 16, 2022
This is the 27th dolphin to wash up on shore with stab wounds or other injuries from weapons after interacting with humans since 2002. In Florida, the Marine Mammal Protection Act states any harassment, capturing, hunting or killing of dolphins are subjected to $100,000 in fines and up to one year in jail.
“The MMPA prohibits the take and exploitation of any marine mammal without appropriate authorization, which may only be given by the FWS. Permits may be issued for scientific research, public display, and the importation/exportation of marine mammal parts and products upon the determination by the FWS that the issuance is consistent with the MMPA’s regulations. The two types of permits issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service’s Office of Protected Resources are incidental and directed. Incidental permits, which allow for some unintentional taking of small numbers of marine mammals, are granted to U.S. citizens who engage in a specified activity other than commercial fishing in a specified geographic area.”
The NOAA is encouraging the public to call their enforcement hotline with any details surrounding the incident with anonymous tips.