Dolphin Dies After Texas Beachgoers Attempt to Ride It
Pro tip, don't mess with sick or dying animals.
Looks like on Sunday some people in Quintana, Texas just west of Galveston, found a dolphin stranded on the beach. I am not going to lie, I would have done what these people STARTED to do. They helped push the dolphin back into the water. Obviously a dolphin can breath on land, but you would think helping it back into the ocean is the right thing to do.
You're apparently supposed to call authorities and let them know a dolphin is washed ashore. Dolphins are federally protected so you cannot feed or harass these animals. Like I said, I would have done what these people did and help get the dolphin back into the ocean. Well it looks like some of these people also attempted to ride the dolphin once it was back in the ocean, which is not something I would have done. The dolphin would wash ashore again and later die.
Apparently crowding around these animals causes them stress. A Marine Biologist named Dr. Christopher Marshall with Texas A&M University believes the dolphin was already sick, but the stress from this incident is what killed it. “In this case, it’s a pretty egregious example of what not to do,” Marshall said.
“You could get into some serious trouble with law enforcement. You could face fines or imprisonment. It’s a serious issue," Marshall said. "It really enriches our lives to have these animals around us. They’re quite beautiful and they’re really important to the ecosystem.”
If you ever come across a dolphin or a whale who is stranded ashore, what you're supposed to do is call 1-800-9MAMMAL.