Dolphin stranded on Texas seawall dies after rescue attempts. ‘A tough morning’

A dolphin died Wednesday morning after it was found stranded on the seawall in Galveston, according to the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

The dolphin was found alive around 3:45 a.m., but was in “very poor condition,” the non-profit group said. Officers with the Galveston Police Department along with a Texas Parks and Wildlife Department game warden attempted to stabilize the dolphin by the beach before the marine mammal rescue officials arrived.

The bottlenose dolphin did not survive, and a necropsy will be conducted to learn more about why she was stranded.

“All in all, this was a tough morning but we are so proud of everyone that came together for this dolphin in the wee hours of the morning to ensure she was as comfortable as possible in her last moments and did not have to suffer from drowning, predation, or worse,” the Marine Mammal Stranding Network said in a Wednesday post on Facebook.

The organization encourages people to not push dolphins or whales back into the water because they only wash up on beaches when “sick, injured or orphaned.”

If you find a live dolphin stranded, you’re encouraged to call their 24-hour hotline at 1-800-962-6625.