June 9, 9:51 PM
Volunteers from the Hawaii Pacific University Marine Mammal Stranding Team responded last Thursday to a call from a Kailua resident. The resident reported that a dolphin had stranded itself on the rocks behind her house, which lays on the northern part of the bay.
The resident who placed the call discovered the dolphin Thursday morning and responders were on the scene by 10:00 am, at which time it was pronounced dead. Due to the low level of decomposition, the dolphin had presumably become stranded while alive and subsequently died overnight. However, the real circumstances surrounding the stranding will be further investigated pending a necropsy.
Large linear lacerations were found on the dolphins underside and left eye. These injuries appeared recent and may have come from when the dolphin made it's way through the reef, or from washing up on the rocks. The most mysterious aspect of the stranding is the radio tag that was present on the dolphin's back. The type of tag found on the dolphin is known as a spaghetti tag which has a long, black wire with a tasseled end. This is a specific type of radio tag and may help investigators to uncover the history of the animal. These tags are typically placed near the dorsal fin, however in the case of the dolphin found in Kailua, it was placed very far back, almost near the tail flukes. The tag appeared to be very old, and there was a lot of scar tissue built up around the insertion site. Due to the low retention rate and high risk of injury, the use of spaghetti tags has been strongly discouraged in recent years.
Known as feeding grounds for the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, marine mammal sightings are extremely rare in Kailua Bay. The bay is very shallow, only 20 feet in the deepest parts, and protected by a large outer reef system that keeps out large predators. Striped Dolphins are a deep water species so its rare to see them in shallow waters, rarer still is finding one stranded alone.
The last Striped Dolphin stranding occurred on O'ahu April 2006. NOAA reports their population in Hawaiian waters to be about 10,000 and although protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Striped Dolphins are not listed as threated or endangered.
If you find a stranded marine mammal do not try to return it to the ocean. It may have a disease and kill other individuals. Do not approach it. It may cause injury to bystanders. Try to keep others away and call the National Marine Fisheries Stranding Hotline at 808-944-2269.
Author: Caroline Griesel
Volunteers from the Hawaii Pacific University Marine Mammal Stranding Team responded last Thursday to a call from a Kailua resident. The resident reported that a dolphin had stranded itself on the rocks behind her house, which lays on the northern part of the bay.
The resident who placed the call discovered the dolphin Thursday morning and responders were on the scene by 10:00 am, at which time it was pronounced dead. Due to the low level of decomposition, the dolphin had presumably become stranded while alive and subsequently died overnight. However, the real circumstances surrounding the stranding will be further investigated pending a necropsy.
Large linear lacerations were found on the dolphins underside and left eye. These injuries appeared recent and may have come from when the dolphin made it's way through the reef, or from washing up on the rocks. The most mysterious aspect of the stranding is the radio tag that was present on the dolphin's back. The type of tag found on the dolphin is known as a spaghetti tag which has a long, black wire with a tasseled end. This is a specific type of radio tag and may help investigators to uncover the history of the animal. These tags are typically placed near the dorsal fin, however in the case of the dolphin found in Kailua, it was placed very far back, almost near the tail flukes. The tag appeared to be very old, and there was a lot of scar tissue built up around the insertion site. Due to the low retention rate and high risk of injury, the use of spaghetti tags has been strongly discouraged in recent years.
Known as feeding grounds for the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, marine mammal sightings are extremely rare in Kailua Bay. The bay is very shallow, only 20 feet in the deepest parts, and protected by a large outer reef system that keeps out large predators. Striped Dolphins are a deep water species so its rare to see them in shallow waters, rarer still is finding one stranded alone.
The last Striped Dolphin stranding occurred on O'ahu April 2006. NOAA reports their population in Hawaiian waters to be about 10,000 and although protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Striped Dolphins are not listed as threated or endangered.
If you find a stranded marine mammal do not try to return it to the ocean. It may have a disease and kill other individuals. Do not approach it. It may cause injury to bystanders. Try to keep others away and call the National Marine Fisheries Stranding Hotline at 808-944-2269.
Author: Caroline Griesel
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