Mystery as a mutilated dolphin without organs and flesh washes up on a New Jersey beach
- WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
The butchered remains of a dolphin have been discovered on a New Jersey beach.
Federal authorities were called to the scene in Allenhurst and found that the animal’s flesh had been “completely removed with clean cuts from a sharp instrument, leaving only the head, dorsal fin, and tail fins.”
The dolphin’s organs, except the heart and lungs, had also been removed.
The Marine Mammal Stranding Center has released a disturbing image of the mutilated carcass lying on a metal stretcher before it was taken away for examination in the hope of finding the perpetrator.
The creature was identified as a common dolphin, which is not listed as threatened or endangered.
However, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is investigating the death which would result in up to $100,000 plus a year in prison if the perpetrator is caught.
Federal authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the death of a dolphin found on a beach. The animal’s flesh had been ‘completely removed with clean cuts of a sharp instrument’
The night before the grisly discovery, a common dolphin struggled in the surf a block away, the beaching center said.
Witnesses said the dolphin managed to get over a sandbar and swam into the sea. It is not known whether the butchered dolphin was the same animal, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center said.
The animal’s carcass was taken to the stranding center and “thoroughly” photographed and documented, the group said.
New Jersey last year had the third-highest number of dolphin strandings in the past two decades, with a total of 54 found along its coasts.
That was more than 50 percent higher than the annual average of 35 deaths since 2002
NOAA reported that the likely cause of the deaths was due to cetacean morbillivirus, which is similar to measles in humans and distemper in dogs.
Although the common dolphin is not considered an endangered species, the animal is protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
That means it is illegal to kill and consume dolphin meat in the US.
Common dolphins are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, making it illegal to kill or eat the animal
New Jersey experienced a similar death in February when another dead dolphin appeared on the beach.
The sea creature was spotted on February 19 lying on the sands of Avalon, bleeding from its eyes and a gaping hole along its mouth.
However, locals pointed to sonar beams from an offshore wind that would map the area.
There is evidence that when exposed to high sonar frequencies, marine mammals swim hundreds of kilometers and change depth rapidly, which can cause bleeding from the eyes and ears.
Bonnie Brady, executive director of the Long Island Commercial Fishing Association, told DailyMail.com that the sea creature was a short-beaked dolphin, which can be found along the continental slope in waters between 200 and 2,000 meters deep.
She noted that it is very rare for this type of dolphin to be found close to the beach.
Jamie Steiert, an Avalon resident, spotted the dead dolphin on the beach.
“NJ wildlife officer picked it up while I was there and said he was meeting with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center,” Steiert told DailyMail.com.
‘I hear they are already saying that the dolphin has been captured. We have consistently asked to prove that there is no hearing damage, but we are always left out.’
The only way to determine if a marine animal has died as a result of sonar is to perform a necropsy and analyze the ear bone for damage.