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 Crow香蕉视频直播檚 Nest Cafe.
香蕉视频直播淭he markings were quite striking,香蕉视频直播� Rinfret said of the animal, which was between six and seven feet long. 香蕉视频直播淰ery dark on top with a white belly.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淚t was pretty exciting,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淚t was a pretty interesting thing to come across and of course I香蕉视频直播檓 wondering what happened to it.香蕉视频直播�
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 DFO香蕉视频直播檚 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.
香蕉视频直播淭his is a species of dolphin that tends to live in warm water,香蕉视频直播� Ford said, adding the animals generally do not swim north of California. 香蕉视频直播淭his is the first one north of Vancouver Island.香蕉视频直播�
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.
香蕉视频直播淎s temperatures in the ocean are gradually increasing we may expect more sightings of exotic warm water species,香蕉视频直播� he added.
香蕉视频直播淲ho knows what next will turn up on the beaches.香蕉视频直播�
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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 香蕉视频直播淥bserve, Record Report line香蕉视频直播� at 1-800-465-4336.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 really important,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Sometimes staff are able to save live, stranded animals and 香蕉视频直播渋t香蕉视频直播檚 always important to try and examine fresh animals like this where one can actually determine if there香蕉视频直播檚 a viral pathogen.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚t might be possible to learn from it.香蕉视频直播�
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