USDA investigation sheds light on how 22-year-old dolphin died at IMMS in Gulfport

A bottlenose dolphin has died at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) in Gulfport, prompting a USDA inspection of the facility.

The dolphin, a 22 year-old male named Jag, died after being trapped under a net panel medical floor, also known as a false bottom floor.

Jag died at the facility on Sept. 16, and the resulting USDA inspection was conducted on Nov. 17. The USDA report, prepared by Veterinarian Medical Officer Jeffrey Lee, was signed on Nov. 23 and the information was released in a press release this week.

According to the USDA report, IMMS Executive Director Moby Solangi said that at the time of his death, Jag was undergoing treatment for a health condition in the medical pool, where staff and trainers were present to assist. He had been trained for this treatment and had received previous ones in this pool that were conducted successfully.

The restraint system used in the medical pool had been used without incident for a decade, Solangi said, but Jag was restrained manually instead of by the system due to the frequency of his treatments. During his therapy, Jag pushed through the trainers and swam down beneath the false bottom of the pool enclosure.

Trainers attempted to redirect Jag out from underneath the false bottom by cutting the net that was there and opening up the entrances to adjacent pools, but to no avail. Jag died at the bottom of the pool.

Solangi acknowledged that animal care staff and trainers may not be able to sufficiently restrain a dolphin on their own under stressful conditions and claims that corrective actions have been taken to ensure that future animals undergoing medical treatment are properly restrained.

This story was originally published December 30, 2022 at 9:57 AM.