9 dolphins beach in La Union, Pangasinan

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines–At least nine bottlenose dolphins beached in different parts of Lingayen Gulf on Monday, all of them weak and wounded, according to a fishery official here.

Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC) here, said six dolphins first beached on the shores of Barangay (village) Alaska in Aringay town in La Union province at about 2 p.m.

“They had fresh wounds and one of them eventually died,” Rosario said.

The dead dolphin, he said, was buried at the NIFTDC fish cemetery at 4:30 p.m., when it was brought there by Aringay town agriculturist Manuel Ugaban Jr.

Rosario said four of the dolphins were released back to the sea but the other one was reportedly taken by a fisherman from Agoo town for food.

At about 5:30 p.m., Rosario said an NIFTDC worker found a dolphin beached on the shoreline at the back of the facility. Rosario said it was taken back to the sea.

Two more dolphins were found on the shores of the island village of Pugaro here at about 8 p.m., Rosario said.

He said Dagupan Mayor Belen Fernandez informed him that the dolphins were also wounded.

Rosario said he had instructed village officials to monitor the condition of the dolphins.

When asked, Rosario said he was unsure if the dolphins belonged to the same pod.

Two pods of dolphins were seen last month at the Sual and Pangascasan bays in Sual town, Pangasinan. But the pods left the place after three days.