NOAA Fisheries, a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, announced up to $ 20,000 for information on anyone who harassed a sick dolphin last month on Quintana Beach in Texas. The bottlenose dolphin was blocked alive on the beach on April 10 and was pushed back into the water as beachgoers tried to swim with and ride the animal, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network said in a Facebook post.
“Eventually, she remained stuck and was further harassed by a crowd of people on the beach, where she later died before rescuers were able to arrive,” the network said.
Officials have received footage of the harassment in Texas that could help identify the people involved, NOAA reported.
The Marine Mammal Protection Act prohibits harassment, injury, killing or feeding on wild dolphins.
Harassment, injuring, killing or feeding wild dolphins is punishable by fines of up to $ 100,000 and up to 1 year in prison for the offense, the agency said.
An adult dolphin, meanwhile, died in March after being stabbed in the head with a spear-like object on Fort Myers Beach, NOAA officials said, citing the dolphin’s autopsy. The agency is also offering a reward of up to $ 20,000 for information about the incident.
The animal was apparently in a begging feeding position when it was attacked while still alive. She appears to have died from the injury, a NOAA statement said.
“Begging is not a natural behavior for dolphins and is often associated with illegal feeding. Humans can help prevent future harm to wild dolphins by not eating or trying to feed them,” the statement said.
The agency – whose mission is to manage ocean resources and habitats – advises people to avoid interacting with stranded marine animals because they may be sick or injured.
Pushing the animals back into the water slows down the animal to get the help it needs and can lead to re-blocking in a worse condition, the report said.
Michelle Watson and Rebecca Rhys of CNN contributed to this report.
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