Authorities are tracking a severely injured dolphin off Madeira Beach and seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity around the animal that led to its condition.
The bottlenose dolphin has life-threatening wounds to its back and tail, apparently caused by a boat propeller, according to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration.
The dolphin’s injuries were first reported last week to St. Petersburg police.
NOAA said it was looking for information from anyone who witnessed people feeding or chasing it.
Feeding and harassing wild marine mammals is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and can result in severe penalties with fines up to $20,000 and one year in jail, the agency said.
“The health and welfare of wild dolphins is severely compromised when humans feed them and closely interact with them,” NOAA said in a news release. “Human-fed dolphins change their normal wild behavior and run a greater risk of being injured by boats, becoming entangled in fishing gear, or ingesting dangerous items such as fishing hooks and contaminated food.”
NOAA and the Clearwater Marine Aquarium are monitoring the dolphin’s condition.
Experts ask boaters not to feed the dolphin and to remain at least 50 feet away from it to prevent further stress and harm.
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