Risso's Dolphin GA1597
April 25, 2009 - The TMMSN responded to a live Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) at the west end of Galveston around 0730. The animal was reported alive, and upon arrival the young dolphin appeared to be taking its last gasp of air.
Before the TMMSN was notified, several fisherman in the area had attempted to "help" the animal by pushing it back into the water. The Risso's re-stranded itself after each attempt and eyewitnesses say this happened 3 times. This no doubt weakened the animal and lowered the chance for a successful rescue. By the time the dolphin was placed in the rescue truck, it had expired. We immediately performed a necropsy.
The dolphin was emaciated, but otherwise the external condition of the body was good, with no obvious serious injuries. The stomach was empty. Lesions (see photo below) were noted in the mouth and on the tongue and cultures were taken for later identification. Lungworms are common in many of the dolphins we recover, but we don't usually see very heavy loads of these parasites in young animals. However, this dolphin appeared to have more lung parasites than normal. Samples of all organs were taken for histopathology and more results are forthcoming.
The skeleton was flensed and saved for later cleaning and articulation. This stranding was interesting, as it is only the 5th recorded Risso's stranding in the TMMSN's 29 years of operation.
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