A 4-year-old dolphin has died at a Florida aquarium which has seen five fatalities involving these animals in the space of 19 months.
The dolphin, known as Apollo, was a rescued bottlenose dolphin that was found stranded in Playalinda, Florida, and subsequently brought to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA) in 2021.
The CMA is a working marine animal hospital based in Clearwater, Florida. It specializes in providing care to marine creatures that need recovery or rehabilitation before being released.
The facility also functions as a forever home for those that cannot be released into the wild due to physical limitations.
Stock image: A bottlenose dolphin. A 4-year-old dolphin has died at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida.Stock image: A bottlenose dolphin. A 4-year-old dolphin has died at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida.iStockWhen Apollo was stranded in Florida he was found with health problems, including parasites in some parts of his body, as well as inflammation in the stomach and lungs, according to a statement from CMA.
Experts also determined that the dolphin had significant hearing loss, meaning that it would not be possible to release him back into the ocean, CMA said.
In March this year, Apollo appeared to show "signs of discomfort". The care team at the aquarium closely monitored him since then, and he seemed to be showing signs of progress until Monday when his condition declined again.
Despite the interventions of the veterinary team, the dolphin's health continued to deteriorate, and eventually, he passed away. A necropsy is planned to determine the cause of death.
"Our team is heartbroken by Apollo's passing. The welfare and well-being of our animals have always been our top priority at Clearwater Marine Aquarium," James Powell, CMA's chief zoological officer, said in the statement. "Apollo was a beloved member of our CMA family, and his passing has left a void in our hearts."
"This serves as a reminder of the profound impact these animals have on our lives and the importance of our conservation efforts. We will continue to learn from Apollo's life. We would like to express our gratitude to the dedicated staff and veterinary professionals who worked tirelessly to provide the best possible care for Apollo."
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Apollo's death is the fifth dolphin fatality at the aquarium in the past 19 months. In the previous 20-year period between 2001 and 2021, by comparison, the facility recorded three dolphin deaths, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
After the previous dolphin death at the facility—8-year-old Rex who passed away in March this year—aquarium CEO Joe Handy said recent fatalities were not indicative of internal issues. Handy highlighted at the time the fact that the two deaths prior to Rex involved older dolphins who had lived past their life expectancy.
But toward the end of March, the aquarium said it had commissioned five third-party veterinarians and animal care experts to "[independently]" review "habitats, water quality, veterinary care, animal welfare and environmental impact" and ensure that the facility was meeting a high standard of care. It is not clear whether the review has been completed.
There are now five dolphins living at the aquarium. Dolphins that live in captivity tend to have shorter lifespans than companions in the wild, according to Whales.org, but dolphins who were captured from the wild survived for longer in captivity than those that were born into captivity.
Newsweek has contacted Clearwater Marine Aquarium for comment, but if dolphin news makes you flip, just recently scientists discovered ancient dolphins had "unique" (and terrifying) teeth. Last month, a pod of dolphins was seen surfing in sync. But, unfortunately, the Ukraine-Russia war is causing the deaths of so many marine mammals, some experts are worried they may face extinction.
