Dolphin rescued near Long Beach dies after being found covered in lesions

A stranded dolphin has died after being rescued near Long Beach earlier this week.

The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies stranding team received a call around 12 a.m. Monday about a dolphin in distress in Long Beach.

The team responded and helped provide care for the adult female bottlenose dolphin, and the Long Beach and Gulfport police departments also assisted in transporting her back to their facility.

IMMS said the dolphin was found covered in lesions and in critical condition.

Theresa Madrigal, stranding coordinator at IMMS, said the “prognosis was pretty poor from the beginning” and the dolphin “passed away around 8:30 p.m. last night (Monday).”

A necropsy will be conducted Tuesday, and samples will be sent to a lab for determining the cause of death.