(Photo courtesy of Bais City Police Station)
DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Two dolphins were found dead, trapped in a mangrove area in Sitio Pambutan, Barangay Canlargo, Bais City, Negros Oriental, following a reported mass stranding on Sunday.
A third dead dolphin remained unrecovered while three others were rescued and treated for injuries, according to Col. Roland Desiree Lavisto, Bais City police chief.
Lavisto told the Philippine News Agency that retrieval efforts for the third dolphin were halted due to rising tides but will resume once weather conditions become favorable.
“We will resume by tomorrow (Monday) during low tide and when the weather allows us,” he said.
Coast Guard staff, police officers and civilians assisted in the rescue and retrieval operations.
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Witnesses initially reported seeing three dead dolphins in the mangroves.
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Residents spotted over 30 dolphins in the area’s low tide waters on Saturday afternoon, prompting efforts to guide them back to deeper waters.
The first deceased dolphin, found at 10:40 a.m., was a female weighing approximately 75 kilograms and measuring 216 centimeters.
The second, discovered at 2:15 p.m., was also a female of the same length and 111 cm in width. Both had visible lacerations likely caused by stranding.
City veterinarians Dr. Melanie Pescadilla and Cyron Maraña from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources conducted necropsies and sample collection.
The dolphins were buried at the city landfill.
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The three rescued dolphins were treated and returned to the sea, while the Coast Guard continues to monitor the coastline to prevent further strandings.
