Dolphin found stranded on Sullivan's Island

SULLIVAN'S ISLAND, S.C. (WCIV) — A young dolphin was found dead on the sands of Sullivan's Island in Charleston County Tuesday.

According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration officials, a male bottle nose dolphin was found with mono-filament line wrapped around his lower jaw and had embedded into the bone.

Local author Mary Alice Monroe posted a photo of the find on her Facebook page, dedicated to conservation of marine wildlife.

After a necropsy, officials said the near six foot long dolphin died of septicemia from the wound.

They also found a fishing hook in the animal's stomach along with several undigested shrimp and a few small fish. They said it was evident the dolphin wasn't getting the nutrients it needed even though it had eaten because it was so emaciated.

They estimated the dolphin was just over a year old.

NOAA officials said that out of 60 strandings in South Carolina in 2016, only one dolphin survived after it was disentangled from a crab pot buoy line.

The strandings involved 54 bottle nose dolphins, two pygmy sperm whales, a humpback whale, a spotted dolphin, and one unidentified animal.

Four of the 60 stranded were on Sullivan's Island.

They also noted that six of the dolphins were stranded because of "human interaction." Three were entangled in crab pot lines, one ingested marine debris (tin foil), and two had rope wounds.