Young dolphin died from illness, not from injuries

A young male dolphin that appears to have died four days ago washed up Tuesday afternoon near Holiday Inn-Emerald Beach.

A marina patrol officer spotted the dolphin about 3:20 p.m. Authorities who performed the necropsy said the mammal had no obvious injuries and appears to have died from an illness.

"Very little could be found," said Lea Walker, regional coordinator for the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network. "There is very little that you can get when they are that far decomposed."
Walker said the mammal, which weighed about 200 to 250 pounds, was taken to an alternate location for the necropsy because it was found in a non-secluded area.

After testing, the dolphin was taken to an undisclosed location for a beach burial.