After being stranded on land, a group of people harassed and tried to ride a dolphin, which ended up dying, according to a group of animal rescuers.
The group, Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, shared what happened to the female dolphin after it was stranded alive on Quintana Beach in Texas last Sunday.
The rescuers shared in a Facebook post that a crowd of people pushed the animal back into the sea. However, they continued to pester it, with some attempting to ride the dolphin.
According to the group, the dolphin was sick while beachgoers harassed her, and before rescuers could arrive to assist the animal, she died.
"This type of harassment causes undue stress to wild dolphins, is dangerous for the people who interact with them, and is illegal - punishable by fines and jail time if convicted," Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network said on Facebook.
Executive director of Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, Heidi Whitehead, told NPR that her group has not had any other reports of people riding a beached dolphin, saying, "thankfully not a common behavior."
Instead, Whitehead said that her organization often hears of people trying to swim with, feed, pet, or chase dolphins, all of which are illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Violation of the act can result in one year in prison or up to $11,000 in fines and other penalties.
The dolphin's death was called a "tragedy" by the Quintana Beach County Park, which had park staff on the scene to assist the dolphin before it perished.
"Park staff was called to assist in keeping the public away from the dolphin until rescuers could arrive from Galveston," Quintana Beach County Park posted on Facebook. "Unfortunately it was a retrieval, not a rescue."
When it comes to why the dolphin was stranded, the Quintana Beach County Park has recovered the animal's body to conduct a necropsy and determine why.
While the cause of death is still being determined, Whitehead said that illegal acts like these can disrupt a dolphin's natural behavior and cause injury or death.
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