EAST HAMPTON, NY — It was a rare sight in East Hampton Sunday morning when a Risso's dolphin was found washed up on Georgica Beach by a resident.
According to Rob DiGiovanni, chief scientist at the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society, or AMSEAS, the dolphin was a female, about 10 feet, 8 inches long.
The cause of death was natural, DiGiovanni said. “It looks like she had a parasite load in her. She was thin and when the autopsy was done, they found lesions. We believe it was a parasitic infection that caused her to get infected,” he said.
An autopsy was performed Monday, DiGiovanni said.
Risso's dolphins “are not very common in the area; they are usually offshore. But we have seen them from time to time,” DiGiovanni said.
