Two dolphins were found dead, trapped in a mangrove area in Sitio Pambutan, Barangay Canlargo, Bais City in Negros Oriental, following a reported mass stranding Jan. 26.
A third dead dolphin remained unrecovered while three others were rescued and treated for injuries, Col. Roland Desiree Lavisto, Bais City police chief, said.
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 Jan. 27 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.
Witnesses initially reported seeing three dead dolphins in the mangroves.
Residents spotted over 30 dolphins in the area’s low tide waters 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 similar 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 collected samples.
The dolphins were buried at the city landfill. ||
