A Rare Whale Dolphin Mysteriously Washed Ashore in Oregon Coast Beach, Investigation is on!
A rare right whale dolphin mysteriously washed ashore a beach in Oregon coast last week. Investigation is on to find the cause of its death.
These dolphins are not easily seen and this is the fourth time a dolphin belonging to this species has been sighted in two decades in this region.
Where was it Found?
A staff working at the Nehalem Bay State came across the whale dolphin along the Manzanita Beach. The staff then took immediate measures and reported it to the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. The main mission of this network is to save and rescue stranded sea mammals that have washed ashore and they also investigate to find out the reason behind the animals being beached. They also look after stranded animals that are found alive. Whenever a sea mammal is found tangled in debris or fishing gear, they take steps to disentangle them and send them back into their habitat. The organization has also taken the initiative to educate people about marine mammal stranding.
Where was it taken
The 5-foot-long dolphin was taken to Portland State University by the Seaside Aquarium. A necropsy will be performed to find out the cause of death. The Seaside Aquarium informed the sighting on its Facebook page. The organization has stated that the population of right whale dolphins is decreasing and the main cause of their decline is the drift nets that are placed in oceans. In order to protect these rare cetaceans, Oregon and California have put up a few laws that require fishermen to use sound warnings to keep marine mammals out of nets.
In a post, the Aquarium has said, “Though sad, this has given us a unique opportunity to learn a little more about this incredible species. A huge thanks to the Nehalem Bay State Park for reporting the animal so quickly.”
The Right whale dolphin
Very little is known about these whale dolphins. Basically, there are two types of whale dolphins- Northern and southern whale dolphins. The former are found in the northern hemisphere and the latter in the southern hemisphere. They are called whale dolphins because their black and white color is similar to that of an orca. They have features of a bottlenose dolphin. They are gregarious and some of the fastest swimmers.
