By Lauren Wanko
NJ Today
Two dead dolphins have washed ashore in Spring Lake so far this summer. Lifeguards on Wednesday spotted the animal floating in the surf. The casualty’s added to the unusually high number of dead or dying dolphins washing ashore along New Jersey’s coast this summer.
“This is very, very sad because everybody here just loves dolphins,” said Spring Lake Chief Lifeguard Janet Carbin.
Forty-five dead or dying dolphins were reported so far this month, compared to one in August 2012 and zero in August 2011. In July, 20 dolphins were found compared to three in July 2012 and seven in July 2011. The Garden State hasn’t seen this many dolphin deaths since 1987, when more than 90 dolphins were found in New Jersey and 740 along the East Coast. The deaths were linked to the morbillivirus.
“It’s a virus that is transmitted from dolphin to dolphin similar to measles. We’re not saying that’s what it is yet. I think we have something like 18 animals with outstanding tests right now and we’ve only seen four that indicate that virus, so that’s way too little to put a finger on and say yes that’s the cause,” said Bob Schoelkopf, founding director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
Schoelkopf says some factors have been ruled out, like commercial fisheries and water quality.
“New Jersey has probably one of the safest beachfronts in country because they’re testing the waters all the time, and the water is clean. We’re ruling out Sandy, the storms, the dolphins weren’t even in this area during the hurricane,” Schoelkopf said.
After an animal is called into the Marine Mammal Stranding Center, a staffer picks up the dolphin. The animal’s lifted into a body bag. It took seven people to carry the male dolphin in Spring Lake. The creature’s then loaded onto a truck and brought to the stranding center in Brigantine. Employees are on call 24/7.
“We have to weigh it, we have to measure it, we have to take photos,” Schoelkopf said.
It’s emotional for staffers and beach-goers.
“It’s very sad. To me, they’re wonderful sea creatures,” said Spring Lake beach staff member Tina Lee.
In New Jersey, the dolphin deaths have appeared along the coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May, both male and female, young and old. Schoelkopf says their team is just as concerned about humans, especially swimmers.
“We’re worried too for human health, not so much contacting something from the dead animal, which is a worry too but, these people are trying to go in the surf to save them and we’ve had many sharks attacking these dolphins while they’re still alive in the surf, so we really don’t want people to do that,” Schoelkopf said.
It took two years for researchers to identify the cause of the 1987 dolphin deaths. The Marine Mammal Stranding Center expects to know the cause of this summer’s dolphin deaths within the next few months.