Five Dead Dolphins With Bullet Wounds Wash Ashore between Carlsbad State Beach and Oceanside Harbor POSTED: 1:23 pm PDT June 15, 2007UPDATED: 5:56 pm PDT June 15, 2007SAN DIEGO – The first dead dolphin washed ashore with lacerations on its pectoral fin. The next showed up with a fatal bullet wound. Within a week, there were three more with bullets in their heads. Federal officials investigating the five dolphin deaths in San Diego County said they’ve never seen this many wash ashore with bullet wounds. Nationwide, the agency usually gets one report of a dolphin shooting a year. The last time San Diego reported such a death was five years ago. Before that there hadn’t been one in the area since the 1960s. The long-beaked common dolphins were all discovered between Carlsbad State Beach and Oceanside Harbor between May 29 and June 5. Photos showed their normally sleek gray skin mottled and stained with blood from the bullet wounds. “This was so unusual,” said Kerri Danil, a National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration biologist who worked on the necropsies. “With each one I thought that was going to be it, so I was really surprised when we got other calls with injuries indicative of bullet wounds.” Necropsies revealed that the dolphins, which were healthy with bellies full of fish, may have been shot at the same time with the same gun. Four had between one and three bullets of the same caliber in the same part of their heads. “It usually turns out to be a fisherman,” said NOAA spokesman Mark Oswell, adding there have been cases when fishermen take out their frustrations on dolphins and other mammals that eat their catch. This time, however, investigators are stumped. The agency is offering up to $2,500 for information on the deaths. If caught, the perpetrator could face civil penalties of up to $12,000 or a criminal fine of up to $20,000, as well as jail time. Harassing or killing dolphins is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, a federal law that protects seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales and other marine mammals. “It’s a horrendous thing that happened,” Oswell said. “That someone would go out there and shoot four dolphins .” Anyone with information concerning the incident is urged to call NOAA investigators in San Diego at 619-557-5494 or the agency’s 24-hour hot line at 800-853-1964.
If I catch who did this, I will personally take them down to Davey Jone’s Locker wearing some cement shoes.
The saddest part for me is that I have surfed and swam with the same pod of dolphins for the past 4 years when I lived on the beach in Carlsbad. I used to meet them out there in the morning when they were heading south to eat along the coastline. Then, I would go out again in the evening when they were on their way back. The same ones would always acknowledge me and I know they recognized who I was and could decipher between me and other people out there. I haven’t seen the whole pod in a while… and now I know why.
I’m waiting in the wings to find out who did this.
Ah man. There are some sick, sick people out there.
Kawika, sounds like a cool relationship to have with a pod. I hope this is coincidence and your friends will show up again soon. Could be just they moved on to a new feeding ground.
If they are “your” dolphins though - sorry for your loss.
Still though, a kill for a kill, or five or more? Do you really want to lower yourself to their level?
Be at peace man.
Hope they do find whoever did this. Don’t suppose they have any ballistics evidence to go by do they?
It’s not that they were"my" dolphins, but I knew and recognized them by their markings and mannerisms. They each had their own maneuvers in the surf too. Each one had its own personality. They even had a little baby one about two or three feet long that a group would guide into surfing a wave. It was amazing to watch.
I know this sounds weird, but two summers ago, they were courting their mates out front of my place about 50 to 100 yards off shore, and my neighbor, Jen both swam out there and were were literally within a foot or two of them, just observing their behavior and the different echolocation sounds they were using to communicate. It was like being in another world. The sun had set but the dolphins were still visible out there when I went under the surface to witness their behavior. I felt like I was getting to experience something not many people got to experience. It’s not like we were like hanging out watching them get it on or anything, we were just in disbelief that they would allow us to get so close to the pod.
I got out of the water and I felt like I had just been drugged or something. My friend said she felt the same way. It was like this euphoric feeling that cannot be explained.
Dave
I’m not saying I want to go out and kill the guy or people who shot the dolphins, but I will make sure they are prosecuted and that this type of thoughtless murderous activity is stopped. I kind of hope I don’t see the person face to face for fear of what I might do to them in a fit of rage.
Like I said, I wish Greenough could see this and help do something about it.
I think this is the saddest thing I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe that people do this, it never ceases to shock me that mankind has so little regard for life. Last week an 11 year old boy was shot dead while he was playing football in my country. Deep shame at being human.
Unfortuantely there are a lot of insensitive people out there. I once watched some young kids ( 8 years old?) throwing sand and rocks at the ducks that live in a park across from where I live. When my wife saw that she interevened and scolded them. What suprised me was the dirty looks the kid’s parents gave us (yes, they were right there watching their kids behavior).
Then awhile ago there was a video on at SurferMag.com of them gaffing and killing a tuna. Maybe I can understand that, but I couldn’t understand the pleasure and entertainment some readers got out of watching that scene.
I hope you find those who murdered the dolphins. And while you’re at it maybe get the people who find entertainment in dog and cock fights.
More like I’d say “your friends” - you don’t own them, but they are still yours - know what I mean?
Does sound like you had some awesome (overused word but appropriate here) experiences with them. Still hop these aren’t the same ones - or have you positive I.D’d them from the pics?
Jase.
I saw that too - over in Liverpool.
The good news there is apparently the Police have a key witness or something. All being well they’ll nail the killer in that case. Scary part is I heard on the radio (I rarely listen to the radio or watch TV at all, let alone the news) they thought it was a teen that did the shooting. That was a good few days ago though so might be wrong.
I wouldn’t have shame at being human - it is the people who are sub-human that should be ashamed.
Big shot, you’re right but it does seem recently that the sub-human-scum seem to have a huge hold on the world domination stake. Where that leaves the rest of us I aint sure, kind of depressing when you realise that almost no-one in our country can be arsed or has the courage to fight back against the deluge of shite that we are forced to tollerate. Still, we’ll all find our reward in Devon.
I think they’ve always had a huge hold on it. The sub-human element seems a prerequisite for world domination. I try no to let it bother me.
You’ve just got to fight back in your own small corner.
Do what you can to make the world around you a better place - at worst you come across as a decent person, at best it has a knock on effect on others.
It’s always a bigger job to fight the good fight than to just go with the flow and let things continue to slide.
We may find our reward in Devon, but the charts are looking pretty bleak all over at the moment. Being in Manchester it’s a right mission to anywhere down south and up in Scotland, all the short-haul destinations (North wales and Yorkshire) look as flat as a fish-pond for a while yet. I don’t know how much more I can take.
