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‘Really the only option we had was to let the animal pass on its own,’ says Tonya Wimmer, executive director of MARS. (MARS\/Facebook)<\/p>\nA dolphin that was found stranded on P.E.I.\u2019s North Shore has died, and work has now begun to learn more about what led to it becoming stranded in the first place.<\/p>\n
Tonya Wimmer, executive director of the Marine Animal Response Society, said the organization received a call Friday evening from a person who was walking the beach at Blooming Point and came across a live dolphin stranded on the shoreline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She said that with the call coming in after dark, the small organization had limited ability in terms of what they could accomplish safely.<\/p>\n
\u201cVery thankfully with this call, we also were able to get ahold of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and they actually sent out fishery officers right away,” Wimmer said. <\/p>\n
The animal was identified as a young female common dolphin, which usually lives in large groups and isn\u2019t likely to be found alone.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wimmer said DFO officers were able to take photos and videos that could be sent back to MARS to assess the situation. She said the officers were trained on a MARS marine animal medic course, and had the knowledge needed to determine how the dolphin was doing and if it could be returned to the ocean.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘Really the only option we had was to let the animal pass on its own,’ says Tonya Wimmer, executive director of MARS. (MARS\/Facebook)<\/p>\n
\u201cThese animals are meant to be in the ocean. When they\u2019re on a beach we have to be able to assess them to say, what\u2019s the best course of action, is it to put them back? Which sometimes is the case, but if they\u2019re not healthy, that\u2019s not the best course of action for the animal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wimmer said she was also able to consult with a wildlife veterinarian from the Atlantic Veterinary College while assessing the animal. She said due to the animal\u2019s poor condition, as well as safety concerns, the team decided not to return the dolphin to the ocean.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReally the only option we had was to let the animal pass on its own. You also couldn\u2019t get a vet there to do euthanasia \u2014 that is also very dangerous obviously at night \u2014 so really, they waited and then the animal did pass on its own,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dolphin taken to AVC<\/p>\n
Officers with DFO returned to the site the following day to retrieve the body and take it to the Atlantic Veterinary College. There, vets will try to determine why the dolphin was alone and if there are any underlying reasons for how it became stranded.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wimmer said it\u2019s important for MARS to learn as much as possible about every stranding it responds to, so that the organization’s members can advocate for better animal conservation and protection policies moving forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Tonya Wimmer, executive director of MARS, says it\u2019s important for the organization to learn as much as possible about every stranding it responds to, so that members can advocate for better animal conservation and protection policies moving forward. (Zoom)<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s a core part of the work we do,\u201d she said. \u201cHow do we take everything we\u2019re learning with our veterinary colleagues and, if it\u2019s something that humans cause, how can we ensure that it doesn\u2019t happen again?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n