SEA ISLE CITY – A bottlenose dolphin was struck by a boat Sat., July 28 and washed up dead on the 86th Street Beach the following day.
According to Robert Schoelkopf, director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, the dolphin was struck by a boat in the back bay and came ashore Sun., July 29.
Schoelkopf said earlier on Saturday, the dolphin was being followed by a group of jet skiers. He said an 18-foot boat passed the jet skiers and ran over top of the dolphin.
The jet skiers were following the dolphin at slow speed but the boater was apparently not paying attention, passed the jet skiers and hit the dolphin with the bow of the boat and the propeller cut across its back, said Schoelkopf.
The incident has been photographed and documented, he said. The carcass was transported to New Bolton Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Chester, Pa. for a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death, said Schoelkopf.
