PORT ARANSAS, Texas —
There's a dead dolphin in Port Aransas, and there are no plans to remove it.
According to officials, the location of the body on the Port Aransas jetty makes it too difficult to move. That means the plan is to leave it where it is and let nature take care of the rest.
“In those cases, nature will take its course and just letting the animal decompose on its own," Sarah Piwetz said. "But you also want to leave the animal alone, you don't want to mess with it or touch it. But just let nature take its course.”
Piwetz is a stranding biologist at the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network in Galveston, Texas. The TMMSN is the organization tasked with what to do with the dolphin's body. There are limits to who can touch it.
“They’re federally protected," Piwetz said. "So, you do need a permit to actually handle a marine mammal. So, if anyone were to find a live or dead dolphin, or whale, or manatee that washes up on shore, all they need to do is give us a call.”
Those permit requirements mean Nueces County Coastal Parks can only help bury the dolphin if the TMMSN moves it for them. There are currently no plans for that.
“If it is decomposed to a point to where it’s just going to fall apart, then that’s going to be a real mess," said Scott Cross, Coastal Parks director. "You know, I can’t do anything. I don’t hold a federal permit to even handle the species.”
Officials said they are not sure exactly how the dolphin got there. The smell and graffiti on the body has residents concerned. However, TMMSN said the smell will go away as it decomposes, and the graffiti tags were done by them for research and identification purposes.
“From time to time," Cross said. "Marine Mammal Stranding Network will call us if there’s a dolphin on the beach after they take their samples and we need to bury it, you know, in the dunes. Same thing with a large turtle, we’ve even been called to assist with burying a whale.”
The rate the body decomposes at is a matter of the conditions around it. Residents are encouraged not to touch the body since it is an endangered species and fines could be levied.
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