Mass stranding of dolphins in Lake Worth Beach today
Witnesses share video, photographs of at least four stranded dolphins. Wildlife officials called it the fifth mass stranding of that species in the southeast United States since 2000.
Piermaster Tom O’Malley arrived for work at the Lake Worth Pier just before 5 a.m. today in hopes of doing a little fishing before the usual anglers and sunrise watchers showed up.
But as he prepared to cast a line into the surf, he said he heard an odd noise — “something squealing.’’
Wearing a headlamp, he looked over the pier’s southwest railing and saw two dolphins struggling on the beach at the waterline.
By the sunrise, he discovered it was much worse.
At least four spotted dolphins washed up on the beach at Lake Worth Pier, two north of the pier and two just south of it, in what state wildlife officials are calling a rare mass stranding.
Witnesses reported seeing a fifth dolphin further south in the town of South Palm Beach but it was never located.
The two surviving dolphins were transported to SeaWorld Orlando for rehabilitation, said Kelly Richmond, a science communications manager with the state Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, a branch of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The two deceased animals were taken to Harborbranch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce for necropsies to determine the cause of the stranding and death, said spokesperson Chelsey Matheson.
It was the fifth mass stranding of spotted dolphins since 2000 in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s southeast region from North Carolina to Texas. Mass strandings of the animal have ranged in size from two to four, Matheson said, citing NOAA statistics.
The region’s most recent mass stranding of spotted dolphins occurred Nov. 23, 2024 when four dolphins washed ashore in Petit Bois Island off the Mississippi coast.
The stranding in Lake Worth Beach attracted a small crowd at sunrise, some of whom dragged at least one the dolphins back into the water only to watch the animal was ashore again.
Wildlife officials said the public should never try to nudge stranded dolphins back toward the ocean.
“Dolphins strand for a reason, often due to illness or injury. It is important to never push stranded animals back into the water,’’ said Richmond.
If beachgoers discover a stranded dolphin, they contact the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline (888-404-3922) so trained responders can safely conduct a hands-on physical assessment, provide appropriate supportive care, and consider all feasible options in the best interest of the animal,’’ Richmond said.
One of the first on scene was Leonard Bryant, a Lake Worth Beach photographer who showed up for his daily sunrise walk only to encounter O’Malley splashing water on the two struggling dolphins.
“I’ve seen dead sea turtles here and there over the years but I’d never seen dolphins washed up like that,’’ Bryant said. “It was terrible, especially since there was not a mark on them. And to hear the noise they make was so sad. A sad day at Lake Worth Beach.’’
Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies and FWC officers responded to the scene along with crews from the city’s Ocean Rescue and Public Works departments. All worked together to load the surviving dolphins onto special tarps and into a FWC van.
“Unfortunate situation that saddens everyone,’’ Stewart Sword, the city’s assistant director of leisure services, said in an email.
It’s unusual to see spotted dolphins so close to shore, said Stefan Harzen, co-founder of the Jupiter-based Taras Oceanographic Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to marine mammal conservation.
“Typically they spend most of the time far offshore. But once in a while they come in close to our shoreline. But it’s not that often,’’ he said. “They could be following food or they could just be on the move.’’
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Special thanks to Leonard Bryant for contributing photographs. Here’s a short gallery of his images:
