Marine experts are investigating after the first-ever recorded sighting of a striped dolphin on Haida Gwaii.

Alex Rinfret was walking her dog near Tlell on Wednesday morning when she thought she saw a baby killer whale washed up on the beach, just south of the CrowB次元官网网址檚 Nest Cafe.

B次元官网网址淭he markings were quite striking,B次元官网网址� Rinfret said of the animal, which was between six and seven feet long. B次元官网网址淰ery dark on top with a white belly.B次元官网网址�

She had seen seals, sea lions, even sharks washed up on the beach before, but never a dolphin. And as it turned out, no one is believed to have seen that species of dolphin on Haida Gwaii before, ever.

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Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) was called to the scene and staff identified the animal as a deceased striped dolphin, not to be confused with the more common Pacific white-sided dolphin.

B次元官网网址淚t was pretty exciting,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t was a pretty interesting thing to come across and of course IB次元官网网址檓 wondering what happened to it.B次元官网网址�

Masset-based fisheries officer Jamie Constable told the Observer there were no obvious signs of trauma on the dolphin, and it had been taken away on a stretcher Wednesday afternoon to be frozen and later analyzed by veterinary pathologist Dr. Stephen Raverty.

Constable said Raverty will perform a necropsy, looking for signs of disease or pathogens, as well as cause of death.

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Nanaimo-based marine mammal expert Dr. John Ford, who ran the cetacean research program at DFOB次元官网网址檚 Pacific Biological Station for more than 15 years, told the Observer there were no known sightings of striped dolphins in B.C. waters until last September, when a whale watching operator saw a lone striped dolphin swimming south of Victoria.

B次元官网网址淭his is a species of dolphin that tends to live in warm water,B次元官网网址� Ford said, adding the animals generally do not swim north of California. B次元官网网址淭his is the first one north of Vancouver Island.B次元官网网址�

Since the species tends to be social, travelling in schools of up to 200 animals, he said it is likely the single, stranded animal found by Rinfret had some health issues.

B次元官网网址淎s temperatures in the ocean are gradually increasing we may expect more sightings of exotic warm water species,B次元官网网址� he added.

B次元官网网址淲ho knows what next will turn up on the beaches.B次元官网网址�

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Ford reminded residents that if they find a marine animal stranded on the beach, dead or alive, they should call the DFO B次元官网网址淥bserve, Record Report lineB次元官网网址� at 1-800-465-4336.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 really important,B次元官网网址� he said.

Sometimes staff are able to save live, stranded animals and B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 always important to try and examine fresh animals like this where one can actually determine if thereB次元官网网址檚 a viral pathogen.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚t might be possible to learn from it.B次元官网网址�

Do you have something to add to this story or something else we should report on? Email:
karissa.gall@blackpress.ca.

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