Two spotted dolphins stranded themselves on Fort Myers Beach and died Thursday.
Wildlife officials spent the morning tending to stranded dolphins near the Fort Myers Beach pier.
Florida Fish and Wildlife was alerted around 5 a.m. that two Atlantic spotted dolphins were in danger. When officials arrived, one of the dolphins had already died.
Guy Carpenter is the law enforcement captain for Florida Fish and Wildlife. He said his department assisted biologists in getting the second dolphin some help.
“Our officers arrived on the scene and relieved the good Samaritans that were with the dolphin. They were in the water with it keeping its head out of the water, maintaining its airways, so it wouldn’t drown,” Carpenter said. “Our officers entered the water and relieved them of that responsibility and we assisted in removing the dolphin from the water and loading it into a rescue truck. But as we know, that dolphin did pass later on.”
The second dolphin was eventually euthanized due to its poor health. Both dolphins have been taken to Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota where researchers will conduct necropsies.
