DEP Investigating 21 Dolphin Deaths

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is monitoring the high number of dolphin deaths that have been reported recently.

Since July 9, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, which is also monitoring the situation, responded to 21 dolphin deaths along the New Jersey coast. That figure is “unusually high,” a news release from the DEP said.

The cause of deaths has not been confirmed yet, but appear to be a part of a natural disease cycle, the news release said.

“We are offering whatever assistance we can, including the use of our conservation officers and our boats to recover dolphins as we work to understand the cause of these deaths,” said Division of Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement Chief Mark Chicketano in the release.

Necropsy results have confirmed that four of the dolphins died of pneumonia. One dolphin had Morbillivirus, a naturally occurring virus in dolphin populations that was linked to the deaths of 90 off New Jersey in 1987, the news release said. Results for the virus in other dolphins are pending.

“Dolphins swim close together in pods. Diseases spread between animals when they surface to breathe,” said Robert Schoelkopf, Director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. “There is no evidence that the deaths we are seeing this summer are in any way related to water quality.”

The state’s Cooperative Coastal Monitoring Program conducts testing of bathing beaches routinely. There have been no closures of beaches due to bacteria levels, the news release said.

Twenty of the dolphins were bottlenose and one common dolphin has been reported dead or dying on or near beaches from Monmouth County to Cape May County, the news release said. The size and age of the dolphins have varied.

Federal officials are also looking into the high number of dolphin deaths in New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic states, but it is unknown if there is any connection, the news release said.

The DEP advises the public not to approach living, dead or dying dolphins. The public should not attempt to bring dolphins ashore, and pets should also be kept away.

If you see a dead or dying dolphin, call the Marine Mammal Stranding Center’s 24-hour hotline at 609-266-0538.