A pod of dolphins became disoriented and was trapped in a California inlet near Morro Bay, where one animal died in the mud before rescuers could reach it.
The Marine Mammal Center confirmed the dolphin’s death near Cuesta Inlet on Wednesday. Rescuers successfully saved three other dolphins.
The Marine Mammal Center and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife responded after receiving multiple reports that common dolphins had become stranded outside the bay.
The dolphins’ arrival initially drew a crowd of spectators, but the tide receded by the end of the day. The animals failed to return to the ocean on Tuesday and became trapped in the mud.
“Because these were wild, native animals exhibiting normal behaviors prior to the strandings, the best-case scenario was for the dolphins to make their way out of the inlet on their own,” the Marine Mammal Center said in a statement to The California Post.
“Unfortunately, as tidal conditions worsened Tuesday afternoon, four dolphins at Cuesta Inlet became stuck in the mudflats and were unable to navigate back to deeper water.”
“On Wednesday morning, September 30, Center experts safely responded to three of the four dolphins at Cuesta Inlet and successfully released all three outside of the bay, with assistance from Harbor Patrol,” the statement added.
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A fifth dolphin, spotted initially in nearby Shark Inlet, was not located during the rescue operation. Officials said they will continue monitoring the area.
Officials said the reason the dolphins traveled off course remains unclear. They noted that unusual ocean conditions associated with the approaching El Niño could have contributed.
“Past marine heat waves, such as the ‘Blob,’ have contributed to warmer waters, which can influence where dolphins live and the prey available to them,” Giancarlo Rulli of the Marine Mammal Center told KSBY.
“Warmer waters can also shift the distribution of fish and other prey, potentially requiring dolphins to adapt their feeding behavior and seek new food sources,” he said.
The dolphin that died will undergo a necropsy, officials said.
“Seeing an animal in distress is emotionally difficult, and our team feels that too. This has been a heroic effort by many partners, including Harbor Patrol and the community, to give these animals a second chance,” said Sarah Pattison, director of hospital operations at the Marine Mammal Center.
“We’re grateful that three of these dolphins were able to be safely returned to the ocean, and we continue to monitor the situation closely.”