2 Dolphins Shot in Gulf of Mexico

Someone is taking potshots at dolphin swimming in the Gulf of Mexico and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s law enforcement arm wants to find out just who it is.

The agency is investigating two separate cases involving dolphin that have been shot by humans. The first case unfolded about two weeks ago when a pregnant dolphin was found dead in Miramar Beach. She had been shot with a gun, AL.com reported.

The second case came to light over the weekend when authorities found a dolphin with an arrow in its side near Alabama’s Orange Beach.

“Preliminary results of a necropsy, or non-human autopsy, suggest the dolphin lived with the arrow in its side for at least five days before eventually dying from a secondary infection caused by the wound,” a NOAA media release stated.

Now, authorities are trying to find the person or persons responsible for the incidents.

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Dolphin are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972. That act makes it illegal to harass, harm, kill or feed wild dolphins. Violations can result in civil or criminal prosecution and fines up to $100,000 and one year in jail, NOAA noted.

A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible for the most recent attack. The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society Wildlife Trust have banded together to offer the reward, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported.

Anyone with information about the crimes is asked to contact NOAA’s law enforcement office in Niceville at 1-850-729-8628 or the NOAA Enforcement Hotline at 1-800-853-1964.

Anyone who spots a sick, stranded or injured dolphin is asked to call 1-877-WHALE-HELP.

Photo courtesy of NOAA Fisheries