Dolphin is put down after becoming stranded on Westward Ho! beach

By NDJFayeG | Posted: August 03, 2014

A striped dolphin became stuck on the pebble ridge and the Westward Ho! coastguard was called at 9.27am today to assist in the rescue. (August 3)

A DOLPHIN had to be put down after becoming stranded on Westward Ho! beach.

A striped dolphin became stuck on the pebble ridge and the Westward Ho! coastguard was called at 9.27am today to assist in the rescue. (August 3)

Both the coastguard and representatives from the British Divers Marine Life Rescue tried to save the dolphin.

A spokesman for the coastguard said: “Unfortunately the rescue had a sad ending and the dolphin had to be put down by a local vet as it was simply too unwell. As with the death of all marine life, the Natural History Museum has been informed.”

Read more: 

Rare natural hybridisation results in a dolphin with genetic similarities to both the spinner and striped

January 2014: A newly published study on the clymene dolphin, a small, sleek marine mammal living in the Atlantic Ocean, shows that this species arose through natural hybridisation between two dolphins species. In a molecular analysis including the closely related spinner and striped dolphins, scientists concluded that the clymene dolphin is the product a process that is common for plants, fishes and birds, but quite rare in mammals. 

The study was conducted by to the Wildlife Conservation Society, the American Museum of Natural History , the Mote Marine Laboratory and the University of Lisbon. 

Read more

Two rare striped dolphins strand in Cornwall

Death of two rare striped dolphins in Cornwall may be due to disease
June 2012. The recent death of two striped dolphins found near Fowey in Cornwall has raised concern among two local marine conservation organisations - British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) and Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Marine Strandings Network (MSN) - who work together to study and protect cetaceans around our coast. Striped dolphins are a species rarely seen on the Cornish coast, more commonly found in southerly regions such as the Mediterranean.

They first became aware of the strandings when Dave Jarvis, Director of BDMLR, received a call from local residents in Fowey, who had found the first dolphin stranded alive on the beach at Coombe Haven. The local residents attempted to assist the dolphin by putting it back in the sea, but sadly it stranded again and died before rescuers could reach the spot.

BDMLR vet Darryl Thorpe, and volunteers Emily Jenkinson and David and Hilary Pugh-Jones, examined the animal. Darryl reports,

Broken jaw
"It had a severely broken jaw, probably due to being dashed against rocks in the rough seas. It was also malnourished and would have had to be euthanased if it hadn't already died, as it wouldn't have survived long in that state."

BDMLR alerted the Trust's Marine Strandings Network Co-ordinator, Jan Loveridge, and the female dolphin was examined, photographed and recorded by volunteers at the scene for the MSN's research into dolphin deaths. The recorder, Faye Archell, found a number of other lesions on the dolphin's body, including deep rake (teeth) marks inflicted by a bottlenose dolphin.

Whale lice
Faye explains "This has become a common, if surprising, sight in Cornwall in stranded cetaceans and just shows how aggressive bottlenose dolphins can be towards their own and other species. Other lesions in the skin were colonised by tiny long whale lice - fascinating creatures only 5mm in size that live out their lives on dolphins and whales by hanging on with their enormous hooked claws. Pox marks were also seen on the skin, suggesting the possibility of underlying disease, together with a possible rope mark on the tail fluke."

The MSN's advisor and pathologist James Barnett was called to the scene, with fellow scientist Nick Davison, who volunteered his time to assist. Despite the bad weather, they managed to retrieve the animal with the help of volunteers and took it away for a full post-mortem examination at the Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency, Polwhele, where they are based.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/striped-dolphins-cornwall.html#cr

Minke whales off Hastings & Striped dolphin off Plymouth including video

Sightings astound whale and dolphin watchers off Southern England

June 2012. Two extraordinary sightings have been recorded off the southern coast of England during May - astonishing researchers at the marine research and conservation charity Sea Watch.

Striped dolphin
First , an unusual dolphin was seen leaping off Penlee Point, Plymouth, by the sail training organisation Morvargh Sailing Project and has since been positively identified by the marine research charity Sea Watch as a striped dolphin - one of very few live sightings in recent years.

5 Minke whales off Hastings
And then, on May 29, Tim Macpherson, of Catsfield, near Bexhill on Sea, was out sea angling with friends two miles off Hastings when they were amazed to find 5 large whales near their boat. They sent pictures and video to Sea Watch which has confirmed that they were Minke whales - a species not recently recorded in the area.

The confirmations brings to 11 the number of different species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises seen off the UK coast during May alone. Sea Watch is the holder of the largest data base of whales, dolphins and porpoises in Europe.

Sea Watch Sighting officer Danielle Gibas says "We have seen an incredible diversity of species during May around the UK coast. Recorded sightings such as these are helping us to understand different species trends over the years - their distribution, and the health of populations. We are always delighted to hear sightings, and to help identify what has been seen. People can contact us as sightings@seawatchfoundation.org.uk or call 01545 561227,"

Continued  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/channel-whales.html

Rare striped dolphin washed up on beach

A RARE dolphin which washed up dead on Saunton Sands had starved to death, according to a post mortem.

The female striped dolphin was discovered by Bill Hibbs, who was walking along the beach during the bank holiday weekend when he saw the animal lying motionless on the sand.

The Swansea Coastguard was alerted and a team moved the dolphin above the high water mark, so it would not be dragged away by the sea.

The animal was then picked up by marine biologist Rob Deaville from the Institute of Zoology who carried out a post mortem in London.

Mr Deaville is the project manager for the UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme, which is funded by Defra.

He said: "The dolphin was a juvenile female which measured 1.6 metres long. She was found to be in a moderate to poor state with parasites in her stomach and externally on her fin and body, which are similar to barnacles.

"A Striped Dolphin is a relatively rare sighting with them usually being found in warmer waters such as the Mediterranean.

"Seven have been found in the UK over the last 12 months with most being in the South West."

Mr Deaville said it was difficult to determine whether the parasites were the cause of the dolphin's starvation or whether the parasites increased after little food was being eaten.

The carcass of the dolphin has since been incinerated while some of its bones have been kept for further analysis.

UK Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme has dealt with 20,000 strandings in its 20-year existence.

The programme is designed to discover the causes of death and disease and acts as a monitor of marine life.
http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Striped-dolphin-washed-North-Devon-beach/story-13289020-detail/story.html