Dolphin riddled with shark bites was euthanized on a Monmouth County beach

🌊 A dolphin was found stranded alive on a Monmouth County beach

🌊 It was lethargic and riddled with shark bites

🌊 The dolphin had to be euthanized

DEAL — A dolphin with deep, severe, multiple shark bites on its body had to be euthanized after it was found stranded alive on a Monmouth County Beach, according to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.

The male subadult bottlenose dolphin had suffered from multiple shark bites, some of which were quite severe, when it was found on the beach in Deal on Sunday night.

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However, the director of MMSC, Sheila Dean, told the Asbury Park Press it was not clear if the dolphin was stranded as a result of the bites or was sick and then picked on by sharks.

According to the MMSC official report on its website, the dolphin was lethargic and not very responsive, but its body condition was good, with no obvious signs of illness. The young male also had a mostly healed scar behind its dorsal fin from possible previous human or fisheries interaction. There were also several shark bites all over the body.

A veterinarian at the stranding center made the call to euthanize the animal.

It's also not clear what species of shark bit the dolphin. But a bite mark analysis is being conducted, the Press reported.

A necropsy is also pending. It may take several weeks for the results to be returned.

On June 30, an adult male striped dolphin was found alive on the beach in Avalon but died before MMSC arrived on the scene. It was thin with no injuries and no obvious cause of death, according to a report.

The day before, on June 29, a subadult female bottlenose dolphin was found stranded dead on the beach in Atlantic City. She too, was emaciated, with no obvious signs of injury or cause of death, the MMSC report read.

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