Lem Aragones, president of the Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network (PMMSN), announced the death of the last surviving dolphin which was named Julius.
Julius was among the 31 dolphins which beached themselves some three weeks ago on the coasts of Pangasinan and La Union, a phenomenon experts described as “unusual mortality event (UME).”
The dolphins were transported to the Ocean Adventure theme park’s Dolphin Rescue Center, a journey which took about five hours. Of the 31 dolphins, 22 died days later while eight were released back into the ocean. Julius initially survived but needed medical attention, Aragones said.
The other day, however, Julius also died. Gail Laule, chief operating officer of Ocean Adventure, said “dynamite
fishing is the likely cause of the incident, and Julius apparently suffered serious trauma. When a dolphin, or whale, comes ashore that means they have lost the ability to survive in their environment.
They are in critical condition, so the odds of success are very low. “ Aragones noted that “caring for Julius was another testament to how far the Stranding Network has come in terms of effective cooperation between agencies like BFAR, local government units, and members of the civilian population where these incidents occur.”
She explained that UME is “an unprecedented stranding that involves a significant number of animals going to
shore in one geographic area under conditions that require immediate intervention.”
Aragones, also a professor of marine mammal science at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology at UP Diliman added that the dolphins were most likely from the same group, as Fraser’s dolphins are often found in large groups of up to several hundred animals.”
“The Fraser’s dolphins are a deep water species so they may have been attracted into the Lingayen Gulf by the
abundance of Acetes, locally called “alamang,” which have noticeably increased recently,” she explained.
Dr. Leo Suarez, staff veterinarian at Ocean Adventure who oversaw the rehabilitation of Julius, said that “teams of staff and volunteers provided around-the-clock care, gently supporting him and helping him swim for short distances on his own.”
He noted that “one of the biggest risks of long term rehabilitation is scoliosis or curvature of the spine from limited movement. Therefore, caregivers provided physical therapy multiple times a day to keep his muscles working properly and the spine aligned.”
Laule said Ocean Adventure still cares for three dolphins, all victims of dynamite fishing, named Valentina, Scarlet, and Phina.
“These dolphins, which we fondly call the dynamite girls, all managed to survive because of the work of the Stranding Network. We brought a scientist from Hawaii to conduct audiograms on the dolphins, and found all three suffering from permanent hearing loss. They are now thriving here with us at the park,” he noted.
