$20K reward offered to find Texas beachgoers who harassed dolphin that later died
A sick dolphin that was stranded in a Texas beach and set upon by beachgoers has died. Now, the The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has offered a $20,000 reward to find those responsible, KHOU reports.
The female bottlenose dolphin washed up on Quintana Beach on April 10, but drowned after beachgoers pushed it back into the ocean. Some even tried to ride on it.
“People riding the animal, the animal was quite sick, already stressed at this point,” Texas A&M University Galveston Marine Biologist Dr. Christopher Marshall said. “The animal was probably on the brink and the stress is what killed it.”
In a Facebook post, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network said that the dolphin "ultimately stranded (for a second time) and was further harassed by a crowd of people on the beach where she later died before rescuers could arrive on scene."
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"This type of harassment causes undue stress to wild dolphins, is dangerous for the people who interact with them, and is illegal - punishable by fines and jail time if convicted," the network added. "If a live dolphin or whale strands in Texas, please DO NOT PUSH the animal back to sea, do not attempt to swim or interact with them, do not crowd them, and immediately call 1-800-9MAMMAL (1-800-962-6625) for guidance on how to help support the animal until the TMMSN rescue response arrives!"
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