Dolphin Euthanized After Stranding On South Bay Beach

TORRANCE, CA — A dolphin that was found stranded at Torrance Beach on Tuesday afternoon has been euthanized, according to the Marine Mammal Care Center.

Lifeguards arrived where the stranded dolphin was and used buckets of water to keep it hydrated, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said in a social media post Tuesday around 6:23 p.m.

The dolphin was then transferred to the Marine Mammal Care Center, a nonprofit that helps sick, injured or orphaned marine mammals found along Los Angeles County.

"Unfortunately, due to the signs of severe stress that the dolphin was exhibiting, as well as its age (this calf was still dependent on its mother for survival), we elected to euthanize the dolphin," Marine Mammal Care Center Veterinarian and Response Operations Director Mattison Peters told Patch.

A necropsy will now be conducted to get a "better sense of why this dolphin may have stranded," Peters added.

Marine mammals can get stranded for several reasons, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including injury or disease.

Lifeguard officials say that while it may be tempting to help the stranded animals, people should give them space and notify professionals.

The LA County Fire Department, Lifeguard Division, asks that anyone who encounters a sick or stranded animal contact the nearest lifeguard or the Marine Mammal Care Center at 1-800-39-WHALE.