Risso’s dolphin found dead in Paoay

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Paoay, Ilocos Norte—A risso’s dolphin (grampus griseus) was found dead on the beach along a fishing barangay here in Paoay, Ilocos Norte on Aug. 15. Initial findings reveal that the dolphin may have died due to acoustic trauma and hunger.

In a report given to Arthur Valente, provincial fisheries regulation officer of Ilocos Norte from the Municipal Agriculture Office of Paoay town, the dolphin, which was beached along Brgy. Bacsil here, was 3 meters long and weighed about 110 kilograms.

Barangay residents said the dolphin was already dead when they found it on the shore.  

“The dolphin is thin and incurred several wounds in various parts of the body. Like other previous cases, the dolphin may have died due to acoustic trauma and hunger,” Mr. Valente theorized.

To validate his theory, several samples were collected from the dolphin’s body for necropsy analysis which will be released soon.

The dolphin, found on decomposing stage was immediately buried.

Barely a week ago, a spinner dolphin measuring 1.73 meters long and weighing 37 kilos was found dead along the Pasuquin shoreline of the first district of Ilocos Norte.

Since January, this is now the third time that a marine mammal was found dead in Ilocos Norte. Last May, a dumped butchered whale was also found along the shoreline of Maglaoi Sur in neighboring Currimao town. Overall, the Provincial Fishery Office under the Ilocos Norte government recorded 11 marine animal strandings from January to August.

Tagged as one of the hot spots of marine animal stranding in the country, Ilocos Norte officials continue to educate local fishermen about the importance of marine animals to maintain balance ecology.

According to Mr. Valente, marine animals get stranded when they flee fishermen hunting them or they get sick as a result of polluted environments. They also get stranded when they try to flee bad weather, dynamite fishing or get lost in their search for food.