Dolphin Washed Up Dead — Gulfport, MS

Still more and more dead animals are washing up on Gulf of Mexico beaches. This dolphin, covered in orange spray paint, was found in Gulfport, Mississippi on May 15th by a local woman. The carcass had been tagged on May 13th by the Institute for Marine Mammal Research (the orange spray paint on the carcass says "IMMR"). The IMMR apparently just left it there to be cleaned up later, decomposing in the hot sun.

Laurel Lockamy, the Gulfport resident, returned the previous day just as a yellow bulldozer arrived to scoop off the dead dolphin and carry it away. The bulldozer carried it away down the beach, and dumped it behind some beach vegetation. So now it is still decomposing in the hot sun, but now it's behind some bushes.

© Laurel Lockamy - Gulfport, MS

These are beaches where families take their kids to play. Dead animals keep washing up... is this safe? Why aren't parents worried about their kids playing next to dead, decaying sea turtles, dolphins, and birds on the beach? The strandings of dead animals have become so frequent in the Gulf now that locals have begun bringing their cameras with them to the beach and documenting the strandings themselves.

“All these dead things on the beach. It never used to be like this before. I’m almost afraid to walk on the beach anymore," said Laurel.

Read the article about this dolphin stranding.