FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (WINK) — A baby dolphin washed ashore in front Smugglers Cove on Fort Myers Beach Saturday morning.
Monica Lynn with Pod Protectors, a local nonprofit dedicated to protecting wild dolphins, was on scene as Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers responded to remove the dolphin.
Officials say the female dolphin measured 42 inches, about the size of a newborn, and had not yet developed teeth.
It also was noted to have visible fetal bands along the dolphin’s body, which indicate a very recent birth.
According to Lynn, an FWC officer said the dolphin’s death could have been caused by “failure to thrive, or maternal separation.” Separation from its mother can be life-threatening for a newborn dolphin, which depends on its mother for frequent nursing.
Natural causes are also a possibility, but the exact cause of death was not confirmed.