(GULFPORT, Miss.) Marine biologists at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies performed necropsies Monday on two dolphins discovered Saturday in Mississippi. One dolphin was decapitated. The head was found on Horn Island.
A second dolphin was found in Gulfport. Before Saturday, half a dozen dolphins had been found shot, stabbed or mutilated in waters from Alabama to Louisiana. Investigators are trying to determine if all these cases are related.
"It's very cruel. It is senseless. It's repugnant," said President and Executive Director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies Dr. Moby Solangi, "Somebody has to be deranged. I mean, killing is one thing, but mutilating them afterwards is something that I can not understand."
One dolphin was found with it's jaw cut off, another with it's tail was cut off. In some cases, they've been shot and in one instance a dolphin was stabbed with a screwdriver.
"It's very disheartening. I mean these animals are very friendly. They come next to your boat. They're very curious, and that puts them in danger," said Solangi.
Each act could mean $100,000 in fines and up to a year in jail.
"Somebody will talk. I mean, many of the people who commit these cruel acts brag about it," said Solangi.
There is a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for these dolphin killings. If you have information call law enforcement.
